Reign of the Champions
by helpwhatiswrong
Summary: Set during the Teiko Days. As an Aquarius, she was stubborn, rebellious and difficult. As a Cancer, he wasn't supposed to be compatible with her at all. So why did she keep appearing in his mind although their stars weren't aligned at all? MidorimaxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hello! Thank you for taking your time to read this story. I started this story because of the lack of OC stories to read. While this is a Kuroko no Basuke fan fiction, there will not be much action scenes in this story because I wanted to focus more on the relationships between the GoM and school life. This will be set during their second year at Teiko. I do hope you enjoy reading this first chapter. Please let me know what you think in the reviews! -helpwhatiswrong

**Reign of the Champions**

_"Like a tree with great roots, a pressure of immobility." – Junpei Hyuga_

[O1]

"We won again."

The small petite grey haired girl barely looked up from her book as Satsuki Momoi took her seat in front of her. Pursing her lips, Haisaki Shoko commented. "You don't seem to be very happy."

The small trace of sadness in Satsuki's eyes did not go unnoticed by the other girl, but Shoko remained silent as Satsuki spoke. "Well, things are different now." Shoko waited for the girl to elaborate. "It's hard to explain, but there's definitely a different vibe on courts now."

Shoko closed her book. "Ah, my brother mentioned it a couple times." Satsuki stiffened at the mention of her brother – Haisaki Shougo, who had a rather notorious reputation on the basketball team – and ducked her head.

Shoko blinked at her action. "Don't worry about my brother being kicked off the team. He was an asshole and he deserved what he got." She said bluntly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

While Shoko didn't have a particular interest in basketball, she occasionally dropped by the courts to observe their practice. After Teiko's team gained more attention in the basketball circuit, she had a harder time entering the courts without a valid reason.

However, during the few times to she did watch their practices, she noticed something strange in their plays. Rather than functioning like a well-oil machine, Teiko's team worked like a team with specialized, individual parts.

Shoko glanced at Satsuki and saw that the older pink haired girl looked genuinely worried for her team. It was understandable; after all, she had helped shaped the Generation of Miracles since their freshmen year.

The team was like her family. If the team fell apart, Satsuki would most likely blame herself first. "Don't worry about it." Shoko finally said, giving Satsuki one of her rare smiles. "I'm sure things will work out soon."

Satsuki looked relieved and sighed, "You really think so?"

The girl nodded, "They're probably tired from training. You should really ease up on the training, Satsuki."

The manager gave a sheepish grin and scratched her cheek. "By the way. .Your brother, Haisaki-kun, he won't give us any more trouble will he?"

After being dismissed from the basketball team last year, Haisaki was **absolutely **furious and had a fit when he returned home. Eventually, he cooled off and began pursuing more _frivolous _activities (although he still glared at Shoko when she interacted with the various members of the team).

Shoko snorted and shook her head. "After Akashi-san had a. ._word_. . with him, Shougo hasn't touched a basketball. I wouldn't worry about him causing troubling for the team."

Satsuki sighed in relief, slumping over on Shoko's desk. "Ahhh, I feel so much better now." She pouted. "It's such a handful handling the boys. Sometimes they act like such children!" Satsuki complained, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

Shoko laughed. While it was true the team was filled with geniuses in basketball, their personalities were quite. .overwhelming and strange. Before the girl had the chance to reply, a voice cut in.

"Ehh, that's mean Momoichi! Calling us childish!" Kise Ryouta complained with a pout. The girls in the classroom squealed at his action while Momoi groaned. "Good morning, Shoko-chan!" He greeted with grin.

Shoko replied to his greeting with a curt nod and returned to reading her book.

"Well, it's true!" Satsuki replied with a huff, straightening her back. "Sometimes I feel more like your mother than a manager!"

Kise stuck out his tongue childishly before turning towards Shoko. Fearing the worst, she tried to absorb herself in her book, but it was hard with someone as charismatic as Kise standing next to her.

"Sooo, Shoko-chan. I haven't seen you on the sidelines recently." Kise began casually, slinging a friendly arm around her shoulders. Shoko stiffened at his touch and buried her face in her book. "You know, a certain _someone_ has been looking for you during practice." Shoko tried to ignore the suggestive wink that followed his statement.

On the other hand, Satsuki groaned at Kise's obvious matchmaking attempt. "Oh, leave her alone, Kise." She removed Kise's arm from Shoko's shoulder with a playful shove. "Besides, Shoko is too good for Harumi-kun anyways." Satsuki stated with a firm shake of her head.

Shoko felt heat rising to her cheeks and tried to conceal her blush from the other two with her book. Harumi was on the basketball team and while he wasn't on the first string, Satsuki told her he was a rather capable player – even though he wouldn't be able to play in official matches.

While she only had a handful of encounters with the boy, Kise was adamant about bringing the two together and often tried to leave the two alone. Luckily, Harumi was a third year, so Shoko didn't see him too much outside of the courts.

Besides, even though they weren't close, her brother would _kill_ her if he saw her romantically associated with a basketball player. Even though he would never admit it, she knew that deep down, her brother liked playing basketball and being kicked off the team was a huge blow to his pride.

"You know Akashi-san doesn't allow outsiders in during practice anymore." Shoko replied, scratching the side of her nose. She always did this when she was nervous. "I don't see why you should be meddling in my business anyways."

Kise ignored the clipped tone in Shoko's voice and grinned. "I just think you two would make a good couple!"

Shoko deadpanned. 'That's a terrible reason. .'

The girl lowered the book when she heard another voice enter the conversation. "Satsuki, Kise – we have a morning meeting." Shoko looked up to see Midorima standing off to the side.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and Shoko noticed the familiar taping on his fingers. "Come on, we don't want to keep Akashi waiting." Midorima disregarded her presence completely and exited the classroom.

"Sheesh. What a demanding guy." Satsuki huffed, rising to her feet. Kise was already at the door with Midorima, trying to strike up a conversation with the shooter. "I'll see you later, Shoko."

Shoko gave her a small smile and waved the pink haired girl goodbye. She wasn't the least bit perturbed by Midorima ignoring her existence completely.

In fact, with the exception of Momoi, the Generation of Miracles approached her with detached emotions. Shoko found it surprising that Kise was willing to approach her – especially after what her brother had done their freshmen year.

Although their teamwork wasn't the best, the Generation of Miracles was like a close-knit family.

They shared their memories; they shared their pain.

They had secrets to keep and promises to fulfill.

But, Shoko would never know what their secrets or promises were. She would never be able to truly understand.

She wasn't part of the family.

She was just Haisaki Shoko – a friend of Satsuki and the sister of the most hated player on the team.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the positive reviews! I will do my best to keep up with your high expectations. ^^

Just as a reference for future chapters, this will be the classroom assignment for the GoM and Shoko!

2-1 : Akashi and Midorima

2-2: Kuroko and Aomine

2-3: Kise, Momoi, and Shoko

2-4: Murasakibara

2-5: Haisaki (Shougo)

I based their class assignment on what ranking they would be considered in school. In some schools, class assignments are based on your academic level.

Another note is that this story takes place just before summer vacation – which is when basketball tournament starts. However, the games will not be written in detail and will probably appear in conversations between Momoi and Shoko.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Reign of the Champions**

_"We are not trying to be. We will be." – Kagami Taiga_

[02]

"Go _where_?"

"Please, Shoko! This is the **only **favor I will ask from you!" Momoi pleaded, grabbing the grey haired girl's hand in desperation. "I'm asking you as your _best_ friend to help me with this!"

Shoko knitted her eyebrows in confusion. School had ended for the day and while Shoko was looking forward to a relaxing evening in Ginza, Momoi had other plans.

Basketball practice was canceled because the floors in the gym had to be repaired, so Momoi had asked Shoko to tag along with her and the team to a local game arcade.

"I don't see what the arcade has to do with basketball." Shoko said, struggling out of the data analyst's grip.

"It's supposed to be a team activity!" Momoi exclaimed. Ah, she remembered her brother mentioning the 'stupid team bonding events' held every time practice was canceled. It was supposed to hold their teamwork and bring them closer together.

Shoko honestly thought it was just an excuse to spend the school's budget on frivolous activities. "I'm not on the basketball team." She pointed out, "So there wouldn't be a reason for me to go in the first place."

Momoi pouted. "Please, Shoko? I know you don't like going to game arcades in the first place, but. .well. ." A flush crept on the pink haired girl's cheeks. "I think. .I have a crush on someone on the team."

Shoko raised a curious brow. "Aomine?"

The data analyst looked disgusted and appalled that Shoko would suggest such a _hideous _idea. "Dai-chan? Ew, no!" She exclaimed, rising to her feet. Shoko blinked at Momoi's exaggerated reaction.

After the pink haired girl calmed down, she sat back down in her seat and cleared her throat. "It's. .well. .Tetsu-kun. ." She stared down at her desk bashfully, pushing her two index fingers together.

Tetsu? Shoko furrowed her eyebrows. Momoi had a habit of giving people she was close with nicknames, which made it hard for Shoko to identify Momoi's mysterious crush.

After a long thoughtful pause, the blue haired boy from the basketball team flashed in her mind. "Kuroko?" Shoko guessed.

The blush on Momoi's face intensified and she fidgeted nervously in her seat.

Well, that was certainly surprising. Ever since Shoko met Momoi her first year at Teiko, she never saw her look at the opposite sex with much interest. She never would have thought Momoi would fall for the misdirection expert.

Shoko pursed her lips. 'What an odd choice.' She thought, trying to imagine the quiet basketball player and Momoi on a date. Come to think of it, she never really saw Momoi interact with Kuroko – who was in the class next door – outside of practice.

"Okay, fine." Shoko finally agreed, picking up the paper that had the address of the arcade written on it. Momoi lifted her head and stared at her friend with sparkling eyes.

Shoko continued, "But only if you treat me to Sweets Paradise afterwards." The sweets buffet was around the corner from the game arcade.

Momoi nodded her head furiously. "Of course!" The girl beamed. "I'll treat you to whatever you want!" She gave a girlish shriek as began to fanaticize about the misdirection expert.

* * *

Shoko remained unfazed as the Generation of Miracles stared at her as if she had an extra head. After Momoi had snapped out of her daydream, she dragged Shoko to the school gates where the members were waiting.

As soon as she arrived, the members stopped their individual conversations and stared at her like she was an exotic creature. Shoko didn't blame them; if someone suddenly turned up uninvited to one of her club events, she would give them the same expression.

"Everyone, this is Haisaki Shoko!" Momoi introduced, latching her arm with the grey haired girl. "She'll be joining us today!" Her introduction was unnecessary; Shoko was **certain **that they knew about her _especially_ after the notorious reputation her brother left behind, but greeted the members with a dull wave.

Kise was the first one to speak. "Eh~I didn't know you liked going to the arcade too, Shoko-chan!"

'I don't.' Shoko replied mentally, ignoring the model's questions. No one moved from the school gate; they were all waiting for Akashi's response.

After a long deliberate pause, the short red haired captain spoke. "I suppose she can come along." Momoi beamed as he gave his permission while the rest of the members grudgingly accepted her presence.

"Let's just go to the arcade already. I have my eyes set on this game and I _know _I'm going to kick your ass at it, Tetsu." Aomine nudged the smaller blue haired boy – whom Shoko just noticed was standing next to the ace – and grinned.

Akashi and Midorima lead the group, exchanging Shogi tips and basketball tactics. Aomine, Kuroko, and Kise were in the middle. It seemed as if Kise and Aomine were arguing over something trivial while Kuroko quietly watched.

Murasakibara brought up the rear, silently munching on his second bag of chips.

Shoko closed her eyes, feeling an impending headache growing. "Satsuki, why aren't you with Kuroko?" More importantly, why the hell was she there if Satsuki wasn't going to _talk _to her crush?

"It's because Dai-chan is there!" She whined, sticking out a tongue at her childhood friend. "I can't talk to Tetsu-kun when Dai-chan is breathing down my back." Shoko didn't feel like bringing up the fact that the ace and the misdirection expert were _always _together.

It was a short walk from the school to the game arcade, but there were a lot of stares from students from other schools. The Generation of Miracles remained blissfully unaware of the obvious stares, but Shoko gave a long, deliberate stare back to one of the students who gawked at the group.

The student ducked his head in embarrassment and scurried off. Shoko frowned. What made the Generation of Miracles so feared by others? They were just a weird group.

As soon as they arrived to the arcade, Aomine excused himself to the bathroom and Momoi leaped at the chance to be alone with her crush. Shoko stood at the doorway idly as the other members went towards their respective games.

After a few minutes, Shoko inserted a few coins in the machine nearest to her and started the game. She might as well _try _to have fun at the arcade; Shoko didn't know when she would leave after seeing Momoi trailing behind Kuroko like a lovesick puppy.

Shoko pushed the joystick forward on the UFO game and watched as the claw began moving. She didn't have a particular interest in any of the items, so she chose to aim for the purple alpaca plush (1) situated near the ledge.

"Haisaki," Shoko jumped at turned to see Midorima standing behind her. In his left hand was a small plush tanuki (2). Shoko chose not to comment on the strange object and stared at him with an equally blank expression. "You're an Aquarius, am I correct?"

"What of it?" She replied evenly. She turned her attention back on the game and pressed the button. Shoko watched as the claw descended on the plush and successfully pulled it towards the dispense tray.

Midorima clicked his tongue and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Just as I thought, we are incompatible."

Shoko grimaced at his comment, but out of curiosity, remained silent.

The green haired shooter continued. "Satsuki is an Taurus, which makes her incompatible with you as well." Shoko frown deepened; she didn't like where this confrontation was going. "So I suggest that you-"

"Stop talking to Satsuki?" Shoko cut him off. She watched as the claw dropped the alpaca in the box. "I don't base my friendship off of meaningless readings."

Shoko picked up the soft plush, "If you're suggesting me to break my friendship with her simply because we are 'incompatible', I suggest you try a different approach."

The grey haired girl paused. Momoi had just called her name and motioned her to join her, Kise, and Kuroko at another machine. "Have a good day, Midorima." Shoko stared at the stuffed tanuki with a raised eyebrow and left without another word.

Midorima watched as the grey haired girl joined Momoi at another UFO catcher. Akashi soon joined him as soon as Shoko was out of hearing distance. "How did things go?" The captain sounded amused.

The shooter pushed his glasses up nose with his right hand. The familiar weight of the tanuki in his left hand was reassuring. "Just as I thought," He murmured. "We are not compatible at all."

* * *

(1) – Alpaca toys are very popular in Japan right now. They come in all different sizes and shapes.

(2) – A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note** : It's finally August! That means school is going to start pretty soon and while I am trying to stay consistent with updates, don't be surprised if I suddenly stop updating. Thank you guys for your support! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

As a future reference, Harumi is the upperclassman on the basketball team mentioned in the first chapter.

This is more of a filler chapter than anything, but everything starts during summer vacation! I also wanted to formally introduce Harumi since he's going to play a major role in the next few chapters.

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. All original characters and plot lines are my ideas and any resemblance to a live person is purely coincidental.

* * *

"_The strong don't win. The winners are the strong ones. They were stronger. That's all." – Iwamura Tsutomu_

[03]

Shoko cracked her neck, dropping her pencil pouch into her school bag and sighed in relief. Around her, her classmates cheered as the last final was completed. It was finally the start of summer vacation.

It was the start of three long weeks with no school, plenty of sunshine, and many possibilities. Her classmates buzzed with excitement as they discussed their plans for summer.

Shoko thought that Momoi would be the first to celebrate the start of vacation. However, Momoi was slumped in her seat, her face pale as if all her energy had been sucked out of her. Shoko sweat dropped.

"Why the long face, Momoichi?" Kise asked with a teasing smile on his face. He already knew the answer to the question, but he wanted to antagonize the poor girl. "Aren't you excited for summer vacation~?"

His smile was wiped off his face as Momoi shoved her hand in his face. "Shut up, Ki-chan." Momoi turned towards Shoko. The grey haired girl blinked as Momoi's eyes started to water.

"It's summer vacation, but I have to deal with basketball tournaments!" Momoi cried, grabbing Shoko's shoulders. "I want to have fun and play at the beach too!" She whined.

Shoko smiled. Although Momoi always seemed to complain about basketball, she knew that the pink haired girl was passionate about the game – probably more than the gifted players. "I have to spend my whole vacation _babysitting_ the players." Momoi gave a pointed stare at Kise, who merely smiled cheekily in return.

"What are you doing for your vacation, Shoko-chan?" Kise wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "If you don't have anything to do, you can always come to watch our practices!"

"I think Akacchi really likes you after the game arcade!" Shoko frowned at the memory of the team outing she went to last week. After their confrontation, Midorima treated her as if she was extra baggage.

Akashi didn't even talk to her while she was there, but she could feel the captain giving her amused stares. "I already have plans for vacation." Shoko replied easily, deflating Kise's bubble. "I have a tournament and then I'm going back to Nagoya to visit my grandparents."

Kise and Momoi's lips from an 'o'. They had forgotten that she was involved in archery. Shoko sighed, 'Well, it's understandable because all they can think about is Kuroko and basketball.'

"Ah, then that means we won't see each other as often. ." Momoi trailed off, looking disappointed. Nagoya was six hours away from Tokyo on train or bus.

Shoko suddenly felt guilty as Momoi sank lower in her seat. She knew that Momoi was looking forward to a relaxing summer in between the practices and tournaments. "I'll only be gone for two weeks. The junior high tournaments aren't very long (1) and its jut formalities with my grandparents."

Shoko glanced at the planner Momoi had placed on her desk. "I'll be back on the 14th of July," She wrote her name neatly in Momoi's pink planner. "Basketball tournaments end on the 20th, so. ." Shoko paused, quickly glancing at the date that was circled.

"We can go to the Sumida River Fireworks Festival on the 28th (2)." Kise and Momoi both stared at her in awe. Momoi was the first to speak; her eyes glistened with happiness.

"You are my hero, Shoko!" Momoi cried out in happiness, throwing her arms around the girl. Shoko gave a weak smile as the data analyst began to rapidly babble about the things they would do that day.

Kise looked equally excited as well. "It's been a while since I went to a festival!"

Momoi shot him a heated glare. "_You're _not invited. I have to deal with you enough during the summer!"

The teen model looked dejected and pouted. "But I was going to invited Kurokochi as well. ." He murmured, pushing his two index fingers together as he looked at Momoi underneath his long eyelashes.

Momoi froze at the mention of her crush. Shoko could tell that she was having an internal conflict within herself. Shaking her head, Shoko chose to reply for her friend. "It's okay if you come. I don't mind."

Besides, she knew that even if he wasn't invited, he would still go with the team or a random girl. Kise beamed and hugged her and Momoi quickly. "I'm excited for summer now! Wait till the tell the others!"

A girl called out Kise's name. The blond model grinned and waved at the girl. "I'll see you guys later~" He sang as he walked towards the girl standing near the classroom door.

Momoi sighed, "Ki-chan always gets his way, doesn't he?" The pink haired girl puffed her cheeks. She wasn't particularly happy that the team was going to be with them, but if Kuroko was there, she could tolerate their presence for another day.

The girl giggled to herself as she placed a smiley face sticker on the date of the festival. Suddenly, summer was looking so much more promising.

* * *

Three days later, Shoko was standing in Teiko's dojo with her bow drawn and held near her ear. She took a deep breath, her eyes focusing on the small target drawn a couple meters away.

The dojo was quiet. The club was fairly small, so they didn't drawn a large crowd, but Shoko actually preferred it that way. Releasing the bow, she watched as the arrow soared towards the target.

Satisfied by the familiar thud the arrow made as it hit the target, Shoko lowered her bow and wiped her sweat from her brow. Archery was a very physical and mental activity.

A round of polite applause went around. "Ah, as expected of Shoko-chan!" Shoko moved as the next archer took her place and saw Harumi standing near the door.

She stared at the black haired teen before giving him a polite bow. "Eh, aren't you being too cold?" The older boy whined, handing her a water bottle.

Shoko accepted the drink and opened it as he stared at her intently. "Your voice is too loud, _senpai_." The girl simply said, taking a drink. Harumi glanced around the dojo and saw that the few spectators were staring at him with a disapproving frown.

He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Lowering his voice, he spoke again. "Sorry, I guess I'm too used to cheering at basketball games." He gave an embarrassed smile.

'He's quite similar to Kise.' Shoko thought, scratching the tip of her nose. 'I can tell why they are friends.' Shoko pulled a face as Kise's taunting smile popped in her head.

Harumi tilted his head to the side. "Shoko-chan? You're making a strange expression."

The grey haired girl regained her composure. There was _no way _that the upperclassman had a crush on her. She barely talked to him. "Don't you have to a basketball tournament today?" Shoko asked, placing her bow in its respective casing.

She remembered Momoi texted her that morning saying that Teiko would be playing on campus. Since the dojo was so close to the gym, she was planning to stop by before she left to Nagoya tomorrow morning.

Harumi's eyes dimmed and his smile faltered. Shoko noticed it was the same look Momoi had earlier and wondered if there was some internal conflict on the basketball team.

The older boy glanced at Shoko, blushing when he saw the concerned look on her face. "It's no big deal!" He said quickly, waving his hand furiously. "The first strings are playing today, so there's no point of me playing benchwarmer when they don't need me."

Shoko looked annoyed and he realized that he had raised his voice again. "Sorry, I'll try to keep my voice down."

The girl didn't look too convinced and picked up her belongings. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she motioned for Harumi to follow her. "Let's talk outside."

Harumi looked confused as Shoko walked out of the dojo without a second glance back. The tournament was still going on, but her teammates barely gave her a second glance as she walked out. "I-Is it okay for you to walk out like that?"

"It's fine. I don't care."

Harumi looked uncertain, but followed the girl anyways. Silence consumed to two as they walked away from the dojo. Harumi stared at the surroundings and his heart raced as they neared the gym.

He could hear the distinctive squeak of the shoes on the polished floors and the school chant. Harumi froze, expecting Shoko to enter the gym, but looked confused as she turned the corner – passing the gym without a second glance.

Snapping out of his daze, he quickly caught up with her and sighed in relief as she chose a bench far from the gym. He took a seat beside her and stared at his shoes.

Shoko was the first to break the silence. "Why were you at the archery tournament today?"

Harumi laughed at her directness. It was so like her to get straight to the point. He was also relieved that she didn't mention anything about basketball. "Kise told me that you were going to be there, so I decided to watch."

The grey haired girl frowned lightly, tracing her finger against the water bottle's cap. Of course Kise would tell him. Harumi stretched on the bench, basking in the July sunshine. "You like me, don't you _senpai_?"

Harumi froze, before moving at the opposite end of the bench. His face was flushed as he looked nervous. Shoko stared at him with a raised brow. "I-I-It's not like. .I. ." The upperclassman sputtered, his thoughts in a mess.

'What a delayed reaction.' Shoko thought, slightly amused. "It's okay if you don't." Shoko replied. "Kise has been spreading rumors, so I was curious."

The black haired boy made a mental note to teach his kohai a lesson the next time he saw him. "It's not that. ." Harumi glanced at Shoko, quickly adverting his eyes when he saw she was staring at him. "It's nothing!"

The boy immediately regretted his quick response when Shoko frowned. After a few beats, she let out a long sigh. "I don't know what troubles are going on the basketball team right now, but I hope everything works out for you."

Harumi stared at her. She was concerned for _him_?

Her phone made a loud beep. A deep frown appeared on her lips as she read the message. "I should get going now. Have a nice summer, _senpai_." Shoko made the motion to pick up her belongings, but stopped when Harumi grabbed her wrist.

The grey haired girl gave him a blank stare while Harumi turned red. "I-I-If it's okay with you. .CanIseeyoutomorrow?" Harumi blurted out, freezing when his words came out jumbled.

Shoko blinked. "I can't." She said bluntly. Harumi tried to fight off the depressing cloud over him and forced a tight smile. "I'm leaving tomorrow for Nagoya." Shoko continued, scratching the tip of her nose.

She thought about the fireworks outing she had planned with Momoi. Surely one more person wouldn't matter? "I'll be at the fireworks festival on the 28th. You're free to come if you want."

Harumi's spirits lifted and the black haired boy looked excited. "Can I really come?!"

Shoko shrugged, wondering why he was so excited over a simple festival. It was open to the public, so it wasn't as if he needed her permission.

Harumi – feeling bold after Shoko had invited him to watch fireworks with her – grinned. "Then can I have your phone number? You know, just so I can contact you when the day gets closer."

Surprisingly, the girl agreed and held out her phone. "Okay, I'll send you my information via infrared." Harumi frantically fumbled for his phone and flipped his phone.

His phone made a sound when the exchange was complete and he stared at her contact information, committing the numbers to memory incase something happened to his phone. "I'll be going now, _senpai_." Shoko said, completely oblivious to his strange behavior.

Harumi leapt to his feet, "Ah, yes! Sorry to keep you back." He gave her a quick bow. "Have a safe trip!" He yelled as Shoko walked away, scratching her ear. 'He should really learn how to keep his voice down. .' She thought, adjusting the strap of her bag.

Meanwhile, the upperclassman held his phone in the air as if it was made out of gold. 'I finally did it!' He thought proudly. 'I talked to Shoko-chan _and _got her number!'

"Oh~ho. I just witnessed something juicy here." A lazy voice drawled from behind the bench. Harumi froze upon hearing the familiar voice. Slowly turning around, he blanched upon seeing the team's ace relaxed on the ground.

"A-Aomine. ." The Teiko ace grinned.

"Haisaki, huh? Never thought that you would go for those types." Harumi frowned. He – as well as the other players – never gotten along with the first stringers. He didn't like how Aomine began skipping tournaments and practices when he would _kill_ to be in his place.

"What of it?!" Harumi replied, a little _too _defensively. He shoved his phone into his pocket.

Aomine shrugged. "Nothing~" He sang. "I don't particularly care for Haisaki, so I don't really care about your business."

"But, I should just warn you in advance," Harumi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You shouldn't get involved with Haisaki unless you want something happening to you."

"Something?" Harumi echoed, his eyebrows rising.

Aomine smirked, spinning a basketball in his hand. "I heard that big brother had a particular hatred towards basketball players." Harumi gulped. "I don't think he would like hearing about your infatuation with his sister."

"But, it's not any of my business. Just try not to get hurt." Aomine grinned, tossing the ball towards Harumi. The older boy caught the ball due to instinct and stood there dumbfounded while Aomine lazily shuffled away towards the gym.

"Oh, and one more thing, _senpai_." Harumi frowned. He **really **didn't like Aomine anymore. "Try not to skip out on games anymore, okay?"

* * *

(1) Archery – or kyudo – is often taken in high school as an extracurricular activity because its when children as more physically and mentally mature. While there are some junior high schools with kyudo as an extracurricular activity, there are not many because of the dangers.

(2) Sumida River Fireworks Festival is one of Japan's oldest and largest fireworks displays. It takes place in July.

Do you guys like these kinds of footnotes? I try to stay away from adding too many references that people won't understand, but I think it makes it more authentic to read about the Japanese culture. Let me know what you think in the reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note** : School starts in less than a week! I'm so excited for a new school year, but that means I will be super busy. Luckily, things haven't gotten too busy yet, so you can expect updates every three to four days. This chapter will feature Shoko's family life.

I know in the manga Haisaki Shougo is portrayed as a huge, violent bastard that no one likes (lol), but there has to be a reason to why he's like that. In addition, although he keeps saying he _doesn't like _basketball, there has to be a reason why he joined the team in the first place and was part of the GoM.

So yeah, even though Shougo is a bastard, he's still _human_. I will be exploring more of his character in this chapter and you will be able to see the two siblings interact! Sorry for all the angst in this chapter, I just finished reading Deadman Wonderland.

In addition, there will be some reference to the Prince of Tennis in this chapter because I couldn't resist. Ha ha. As always, thank you for your support. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think by reviewing!

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or Prince of Tennis. I own all original characters and the story plot line. Any similarities to a live person or event are purely coincidental.

* * *

"_You can't play basketball by yourself" –Kuroko Tetsuya_

[04]

Her aunt was the first person Shoko saw when she exited the train. Shoko grimaced as her aunt waved enthusiastically towards her family. Her aunt – flamboyant as always – was wearing a strikingly red dress and black heels. "It's hard to miss her otherwise." Her brother snorted, trailing behind Shoko with a scowl on his face.

It was obvious her brother wanted to be anywhere else but in Nagoya. "Masaharu! It's so great to see you and your family again!" Her aunt greeted, throwing her arms around her father.

"It's nice to see you again too, Miharu." He replied, patting her back awkwardly. It had been nearly two years since their last visit to Nagoya – her mother's birthplace – but this time, their visit was under different circumstances.

Miharu beamed, turning her attention to Shoko and Shougo. Her brother scowled at his energetic aunt while Shoko politely greeted her aunt with a quick bow. After a long deliberate glance-over at the siblings, Miharu spoke.

"It's been so long since I've seen you too!" Miharu cooed, pinching Shoko's cheeks. "You two have grown up so much!" Miharu released Shoko's cheeks and looked at Shougo with a disappointed face.

Shoko rubbed her cheeks while Miharu spoke. "What did you do with your lovely hair, Shougo?" Miharu frowned, reaching for a strand of his bleached locks. She remained unfazed when Shougo slapped her hand away.

"You should have kept it the lovely shade of grey like your sister!" She chided, smoothing Shoko's hair with a gentle hand. Her hair – which was usually tied in a high ponytail – was loose and reached her midback.

Shougo's expression contorted into a nasty scowl and his hands curled into tight fists. Shoko was certain that her brother would cause a scene, but surprisingly, he uncurled his fists and walked towards the car without a word.

Shoko stared at her brother's back as he entered the car. Miharu sighed loudly and turned to complain to Shoko's father about his unruly behavior. While her brother might have an uncontrollable temper, he wasn't a bad guy.

Misunderstood, maybe, but definitely not the bad guy the basketball team made him out to be.

Shoko turned her attention back to her aunt and father. It seemed as if they were waiting for the rest of her family members from Kyoto to arrive. Shoko opened the car's door and slid in the seat across from her brother.

Shougo looked startled as he dropped his phone to his lap. Shoko stared at the object with distain; he was probably texting one of his latest flings. "Damn it, Shoko! Don't barge in here like you own the place." Her brother complained once he regained his composure.

Shoko raised a brow. "You don't own the car either, so don't act like you do." Her brother frowned, but remained stretched out on the seats. They were siblings, but they never got along.

He was too predictable while Shoko was too perceptive. "Miharu-san is too honest." Shoko finally said, breaking the silence between the siblings. "So don't take her word to heart."

"Like I give a damn about what she thinks." Shougo retorted, staring out the window with a hardened expression. His eyes twitched in annoyance as he felt his sister's piercing gaze on him. "What the hell are you looking at, brat?" He snarled.

Shoko frowned. Although he was only a few months older than her, he never seemed to miss the opportunity to remind her that he was the older child. "How annoying." Shoko clicked her tongue as she crossed her arms across her chest.

She ignored her brother's heated glare. While Shougo would never admit in a million years to his younger sister, Shoko knew that their aunt's comment had bothered him.

Why did he choose to dye his hair blond out of all colors? It wasn't a move to become more popular. He was already athletic, handsome, and rich in elementary school.

Shougo bleached his hair the fall of their freshman year at Teiko. For the longest time, Shoko tied his hair to his new personality he had formed, but realized the real reason when she watched a basketball game between Teiko and Seigaku.

When her brother filed in behind the other emerging Generation of Miracles, the reason hit her like a pack of bricks. 'All this time,' Shoko thought, smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress. 'He has been trying to fit in.'

It wasn't surprising when Shougo blew up when he was kicked off the team and replaced by Kise – a true blond. Her brother must have felt worthless to the team at that point and acted out terribly.

Shoko glanced at her brother who still wore a scowl on his face. 'Well, that's all in the past now.' Her brother might still harbor ill feelings towards the Generation of Miracles, but what did she know?

It was all just speculation to her.

* * *

Her grandfather was a retired politician that lived in the heart of Nagoya. Her grandmother came from a traditional Japanese family from Kyoto. Together, they were the strangest couple Shoko had ever seen.

Her grandfather was stern, but he had a big heart. His duties as a politician ended as soon as the Second World War began. Her grandmother had a soft visage, but had a heart of steel. She liked to blame her rigorous upbringing.

They were so different, so Shoko always wondered how they managed to stay married for nearly 40 years. Today was their 38th anniversary and they wanted to celebrate the special event with their closest friends and family.

Shoko nudged the abalone on her plate with her fork. She didn't care for such family events. It was just an excuse for her relatives to sit at one table and share their accomplishments.

"Aren't you enjoying the food, Haisaki?" A voice across her drawled out. "It would be such a shame to waste the food."

Shoko stabbed the abalone with her fork. "Shoko is fine, Keigo-kun." She responded with an even tone. "After all, we are cousins. Formalities aren't needed."

"Ahn~ Why the sour expression?" Atobe Keigo asked, elegantly cutting his steak. He seemed unaffected by the detached tone of her voice. "Are you not enjoying yourself here? It's been a while since you've attended one of the family events."

Shoko remained silent, choosing to focus her attention on the salad. "You and your brother stopped attending Hyotei Academy as well." Although he was only a year younger than her, he spoke with such self-confidence and composure. "Such a shame, we could have used your skills."

"Keigo," She placed her fork on the table and stared at the grey haired boy. "Let's stop talking about me." Shoko gave him a polite smile as she spoke. "I heard you took over your club's tennis team."

Keigo smirked and launched into a long story about how he overtook the team from his senpais. Shoko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was predictable. Shoko half-heartedly listened to his story as her eyes wandered around the restaurant her grandparents had rented for the night.

Her father was seated with her aunt and grandparents. Although the atmosphere in the room was festive, her father looked listless as he glanced at his phone several times. Her brother was seated at the end of her table. He looked bored as he pushed a piece of tuna on his plate.

They looked so out of place. "I heard that your brother was part of the Generations of Miracles." Keigo was saying. He had finished his story sometime when she was lost in her thoughts. "That's rather impressive."

"Do you think Teiko will win the championships again this year?" Keigo asked as the servers cleared their plates. "Although, if Hyotei had a strong basketball program, we would take the crown from you." He said arrogantly, flipping his hair out of his face.

Shoko gave him a flat stare. "I don't have a particular interest in basketball, so the championships are no concern to me." Suddenly, her phone made a loud beep. Several of her family members looked at her with disapproving frowns and Keigo looked amused.

Embarrassed, Shoko lowered her head and pulled out her phone. She sighed when she read the first message. Although Shoko had specifically told her not to message her when she was in Nagoya, Momoi had sent her an e-mail stating the team's latest win.

The second was from Harumi. Ever since they exchanged numbers, he had been sending her interesting messages. This time, it was a picture of a sliced watermelon.

**The watermelons here are really good, Shoko-chan! We should have some when you come back. ^^ Have a safe trip.**

Shoko gave a small smile. She didn't know the reason why he kept messaging her, but she found his messages endearing. She felt a sharp kick to her shin and looked up to glare at Keigo.

Her expression faltered as she saw her grandmother approaching and she dropped her phone back in her purse. "Hello, Keigo, Shoko." She nodded to the both of them respectively. "Thank you two for attending."

Keigo charismatically smiled. "Congratulations, grandmother." He gave her a sharp glance with the corner of his eyes, willing her to say something. "The food was delicious."

Her grandmother turned her attention towards Shoko. Her expression was unreadable. "You look like your mother more and more every day." A flicker of emotion flashed in her eyes. Was it sadness or resentment? Shoko couldn't tell.

Her grandmother cleared her throat when it became obvious Shoko wasn't going to say anything. "Have a safe trip back to Tokyo." She offered a small smile to Shoko, which she ignored.

Keigo waited for their grandmother approach another table. Sighing loudly, he looked at Shoko with a tired expression. "It's already been two years. Shouldn't you forgive her already?"

Shoko bit her lip. "I don't want to." If her mother were still alive, she would have chided Shoko for being childish. She didn't like how her grandmother suddenly acknowledged her family after her mother's death.

When her mother was still alive, she ignored their existence completely. Her grandmother wasn't happy when Shoko's mother announced that she would be marrying her father and her grandmother cut her off from the family.

She didn't have the right to waltz back into their lives and play grandmother. As far as Shoko was concerned, her grandmother was a complete stranger to her.

Her grandmother first spoke to Shoko and her brother at her mother's funeral two years ago. It was a rainy day so the rain masked her grandmother's tears.

"_I'm sorry, Shoko. .Shougo. I'm sorry."_

Shoko was sorry too, but being sorry wouldn't bring her mother back.

* * *

The next day, Shoko spent her morning relaxing at Keigo's summer home. Her father went into the city to finish some last minute business and Shougo had disappeared from his room that morning.

Pushing the sunglasses up her nose, Shoko closed her eyes as she basked in the July sunshine. She dipped her hand in the cool pool water as she floated lazily in her cousin's pool.

She left the party yesterday in a particularly foul mood – which was unlike her usual calm personality. Shoko knew that deep down, she shouldn't blame her grandmother for her mother's death, but she couldn't help but to place the blame on her.

In a way, Shoko was extremely childish. "Oi, how long as you going to sit here and mope?" Keigo called out, wiping his face with a towel. He had just returned from his morning tennis practice.

Shoko frowned lightly. "I am _not _moping." Keigo didn't look too convinced and threw his towel at her face. Shoko wrinkled her nose as she removed the sweaty towel. She turned to glare at Keigo, who merely smirked.

"Get up, you can't spend the rest of day lazing in the pool." Keigo said. Shoko removed her sunglasses. "I'll show you something interesting." Shoko weighed her options before diving into the pool.

Once she surfaced, she grabbed the edge of the pool and stared up at the younger boy. "This better be worth my time." She murmured, lifting herself out of the pool. Keigo grabbed a robe from the hook and threw it at her.

"Trust me, it's interesting." He said, tilting his head up arrogantly. Shoko snorted, slipping on the plush robe. His action might have been more impressive if he was taller than her.

The two left the pool deck and headed towards his sports facilities. Keigo's and her father were wealthy businessmen who often conducted business with each other, so she often spent time at his estate with her brother.

Shoko looked confused as they passed the tennis courts. She was certain Keigo was going to show her one of his flashy moves again – he always made her watch until he perfected his move. "Where are we going?"

Keigo shushed her and lead her to a secluded part of the sports area. Shoko heard the familiar sound of a basketball being dribbled and widened her eyes.

"He's been practicing since this morning." Keigo said in a low voice. "As expected from someone from the Generation of Miracles." He nodded in approval.

Shoko didn't have the strength to correct him. The news of his dismissal from the basketball team didn't reach the other schools in Tokyo – they all just assumed he grew tired of basketball.

Shoko watched as her brother tossed a perfect three pointer. He grinned in satisfaction as the ball soared through the hoop, touching nothing but the net.

Shougo grabbed the ball before it bounced on the court and scooped the ball into the net. Keigo whistled, obviously impressed. On the other hand, Shoko narrowed her eyes.

Why was her brother playing basketball? Last year, after Akashi had kicked him off the team and Kise replaced his spot, Shougo returned home in a blind rage. When she had asked him what happened, her brother snarled in fury and knocked down his basketball trophies – which he had so painstakingly lined up the week before.

He spent the whole week clearing out his room – claiming that the sight of a basketball made him nauseous. After his little episode, Shougo avoided anything that remotely resembled basketball and went onto chasing girls.

Shoko's eyes widened as the joy in her brother's eyes suddenly turned dark. He had a predatory grin on his face as he ran down the court, dribbling the ball beside him. He moved at an impossibly quick pace, dodging invisible opponent as he neared the net.

Keigo quickly realized that something was wrong. "What is he _doing._ .?" He barely managed to whisper. Shoko bit her lip. She felt chills go down her spine as Shougo dunked the ball.

Shoko stared at her brother. His breaths came out ragged as an animalistic grin stretched across his face. "He's practicing." Shoko finally answered. She felt sick. "He's practicing to get his revenge."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note** : I know that the general timeline of this story is a bit off since the GoM didn't really gain 'fame' until their second year, but I decided to tweak things up a bit.

In general, this is how the timeline is in this story :

1st year – (Summer) Akashi kicks old regulars off the team and forms the GoM with Shougo. They gain attention after the summer and winter tournaments.

1st year – (Early spring) Kise transfers in and begins to learn basketball.

2nd year – (Spring) Shougo gets kicked off the team and Kise takes his place.

*The new school year in Japan starts after their spring break, so Shougo is removed from the team a week after they become second years.

Argh, sorry for the short chapter. I have finally hit the dreaded writer's block. Hopefully after this chapter is published, things will start to move more quickly. Thanks for all of your lovely support! Please take the time to tell me how you like the story in the review section. Enjoy reading! -helpwhatiswrong

* * *

**Reign of the Champions**

"_There's no point if you win by yourself." – Kuroko Tetsuya_

[05]

"Eh? He actually said that?" Momoi asked in disbelief, sweeping a brush through her pink hair. Lowering the brush, she glanced at Shoko through the mirror. Once she nodded in confirmation, Momoi sighed. "I can't believe Atobe." She said, shaking her head. "He's only thirteen, but he has the confidence of an adult!"

Shoko smiled weakly as she gathered her hair into a neat bun. After an excruciating dull week in Nagoya, she returned to Tokyo and watched Teiko take the summer tournament championships. Today was the 28th, and as planned, Shoko was getting ready for the fireworks festival with Momoi.

As soon as she arrived to Momoi's house, the data analyst had noticed her strange behavior and asked her what happened in Nagoya. Rather than telling her that her brother was dead set on taking revenge on the players, Shoko told her about Atobe gaining control over the tennis team at Hyotei.

"Then again, Atobe is quite similar to Akashi." Momoi pointed out, referring to how the red haired had taken over the basketball team his freshmen year. "It would be interesting to see how they would react if they met each other!"

Shoko wrinkled her nose. While Atobe and Akashi might have similar mindsets, their personalities were completely different. Atobe was flashy and arrogant while Akashi was calm and confident. If they met, things wouldn't be pretty.

Momoi noticed Shoko's expression and laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I don't think I would want them to meet either." After she finished braiding her hair, Momoi gave a satisfied nod at her reflection.

"Done!" Momoi turned around and faced Shoko, who was sitting on her bed. She tilted her head to the side, curious. "Who are you talking to?"

Shoko dropped her cell phone in her lap. "Nobody important." She replied, scratching the tip of her nose. Momoi had a sly expression on her face. Once the grey haired girl let her guard down, Momoi grabbed her cell phone.

The pink haired girl's eyes widened. "You're talking to Harumi-kun?!" She exclaimed, reading the latest message their upperclassman had sent Shoko. Her eyebrows were raised. "Since when were you two so close?"

Shoko frowned at the suggestive look on Momoi's face. Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, Shoko retrieved her phone back from the smirking girl. "It's nothing serious. He just came to watch my tournament and we starting talking."

Momoi's smirk widened. "Suure, it's nothing _serious_." She sang, winking at Shoko. "For _now_, at least." Momoi giggled while Shoko sighed. She knew it was a risk to text Harumi within Momoi's presence.

"So, is he going to be at the fireworks festival today?" Momoi asked, swinging her legs excitedly. Shoko picked at her thumbnail – another bad habit she developed when she was nervous.

". .Yes." Shoko finally said. Before Momoi could continue teasing her, Shoko interrupted her. "Like I said before, Satsuki, it's nothing serious, so don't get any ideas."

Momoi looked shocked. "What makes you think I would _do _something?" She gasped as she feigned being offended. Shoko shot her an annoyed look. "Don't worry, Shoko-chan! I won't do anything _bad_."

Shoko didn't look too convinced. Momoi had a devious look on her face – which meant that she was planning something. "Seriously. I won't." Momoi promised, grabbing the girl's arm as she dragged her towards the door. "Now let's go break some hearts tonight!"

* * *

After spending the last two weeks with the members, the last thing Midorima wanted to do was spend another day with the basketball players at a festival. Aomine had arrived on his doorstep that afternoon with a grin and literally dragged him out of the house.

He had better things to do than entertain Aomine at the festival. "Who is that?" Midorima suddenly asked, glancing at the black haired boy who looked nervous as he paced back and forth.

He looked familiar, but Midorima couldn't remember his name. Aomine glanced at the boy as he ate a piece of takoyaki. "Oh, that's Harumi." He said in between his bites. Midorima looked disgusted and distanced himself from Teiko's ace.

"He's from the basketball team." Midorima flinched and noticed that he had moved next to the misdirection expert. "I think he's on the second string." Kuroko said.

Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose as he stared at Harumi. "He's a Scorpio." Midorima murmured. Kuroko looked at him with an unreadable expression. "I remember him now."

Aomine laughed, tossing his takoyaki container into the trashcan behind him. As expected of Teiko's ace, the container sailed effortlessly into the can.

"I can't believe you remember everyone's zodiac signs." Aomine grinned and rested his arm on Midorima's shoulder. "I don't know where to call it impressive or obsessive."

Midorima frowned, pushing the ace's arm off his shoulder. "It helps me choose the right people to associate myself with." The shooter replied. "If I am not compatible with the other person's zodiac sign, then I try to stay away from that person."

It saved him a lot of time by avoiding unnecessary fights and confrontations. Aomine looked bored as he picked his teeth with the skewer. "Whatever man." Like the rest of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine thought it was weird how obsessive Midorima was with horoscopes, but got used to his odd tendencies over time.

"Oh, look! They're finally here." Aomine exclaimed, moving away from Midorima to greet the girls. Momoi was the first person he saw. Her long pink hair was braided to the side and she wore a sky blue yukata, which contrasted her hair.

He saw Hagasaki next. Her hair was tied into a neat bun and she wore a striking yellow yukata, which he found too flamboyant for someone like her. Ever since their confrontation at the game arcade, he couldn't help but to feel a strong dislike towards her.

His expression was unreadable as Hagasaki ignored everyone on the basketball team and greeted Harumi with a small smile. Midorima watched as the black haired boy looked flustered and stammered a response.

He pushed up his glasses and tore his gaze away.

Aquarius and Scorpio were almost always a perfect match.

* * *

As expected, although Momoi had promised she would not play any tricks, Shoko found herself in quite a predicament when she was separated from the group. "Look, Shoko-chan! Isn't this mask cute?" Harumi asked, holding up a fox mask to his face.

Shoko forced a smile while Harumi busied himself with the different masks on display. It wasn't Harumi's presence that necessarily bothered her – in fact, she was becoming rather comfortable around the third year.

It was the presence of an unpredictable guest that made her feel uncomfortable. Shoko glanced at Midorima – who was standing a few feet away from them. A small frown was on his face – indicating that he wasn't the least impressed by the situation either.

As soon as she and Momoi had arrived to the festival, Momoi immediately went towards Kuroko and started a lively conversation with the misdirection expert. So far, things were going well, but as soon as Shoko turned her attention towards Harumi, Momoi had taken off with the rest of the basketball players.

For some reason, Midorima didn't get the memo and when she turned back, Momoi was gone along with the rest and Midorima looked as confused as she did.

Shoko wasn't particularly fond of Midorima, but she felt somewhat guilty leaving him alone on such a festive day. "Shoko-chan! Let's go play a game!" Harumi exclaimed, pulling Shoko out of her trace.

She allowed the overly energetic third year to pull her towards a random game booth. Surprisingly, when she turned around, Midorima was following them with a sullen expression.

"Here, Shoko-chan!" Harumi handed her a paddle made out of rice paper. Shoko glanced down and noticed a small child sized pool filled with goldfishes. "Let's play this one!" He beamed as he squatted down in front of the pool with a concentrated look.

'He's trying too hard.' Shoko thought as she squatted beside him. She didn't know why, but his smiles seemed forced and didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Aw man, I didn't get it." Harumi frowned as the water tore the rice paper and asked the owner for another paddle. Shoko's attempts met the same fate. On her fourth try, her eyes widened as she successfully captured the fish without ripping the paper.

The festival was crowded that day, so just as she captured the fish, a man bumped into her back, causing the rice paper to rip before she could secure the fish.

Shoko blinked as she saw a blurred movement from her left and furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed the goldfish was successfully captured in a small bowl. Turning to her left, she stared.

"It would have been a wasted attempt." Midorima simply said, holding the bowl with one of his hands. Shoko looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing as the owner congratulated them and bagged the goldfish.

"Thank you." The grey haired girl murmured politely as the man handed her prize. Midorima grunted in reply and turned his attention elsewhere as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Shoko stared at his back for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Harumi, who was still struggling with the game.

Meanwhile, Midorima had a grimace on his face as he pulled out his phone to check his luck for that night.

**Today will be the start of something new! Try to open your mind to new experiences. Today's lucky item : koi **(1)

* * *

(1) A koi is a Japanese carp, but can also mean 'love' in Japanese.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note **: Sorry for the super long hiatus! I haven't been very motivated to continue this story because I have hit the dreaded writer's block. . After this chapter, you'll see more interaction with Shoko and Midorima because Harumi is out of the way – for now at least!

As you can tell from the last chapter, I'm not very good at writing 'romantic scenes'. I _tried_ to include a little of Midorima/Shoko, but it seems to be very forced to me. OTL. I'll do better in the next few chapters!

As always, thank you for your support and enjoy reading this chapter! –helpwhatiswrong

"_If you want to climb a mountain, you obviously aim for the top, but you gotta enjoy the scenery too." –Teppei Kiyoshi_

* * *

[06]

"I don't like these. Do it again."

Shoko looked annoyed as the class representative handed her back her work and sauntered away. Flipping through the contents, Shoko frowned when she noticed his suggestions written on the margin.

Shoko sighed, closing her eyes as she slammed the packet on her desk. Summer vacation was over and with the school's cultural festival coming in two months, Shoko was bombarded with work as the female class representative.

Every idea she had proposed was declined by the male representative, which made her work so much harder. They were supposed to turn in their proposal to the student council later that week, but so far, they had nothing.

Momoi and Kise were currently at practice – busy preparing for the winter tournament – so Shoko was alone in the classroom. 'This is ridiculous. .' Shoko thought, reading over some of the suggestions he had written.

Shoko's phone beeped. Momoi had messaged her saying practice was over and asked her to meet her in the gym. Gathering her belongings, Shoko shuffled out of the classroom in a lethargic pace.

She felt uncomfortable every time she neared the gym. Her brother came home late every night with a triumph grin on his face. She didn't know what he was planning, but she knew he wanted revenge against the basketball players.

While she wasn't close to many of the members on the team, she couldn't sit back and let her brother ruin their passion over his bruised ego. Shoko exhaled, feeling overwhelmed by the whole situation and entered the gym.

Shoko heard the sound of a basketball hitting the courts and furrowed her eyebrows. Practice had ended an hour ago and according to Momoi's message, all of the players had left for the day.

Taking a quick peek at the basketball court, Shoko's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the green haired shooter toss the basketball into the hoop effortlessly. Each time the ball made it in, he would take a step backwards – furthering the distance.

Shoko watched as Midorima had a concentrated look on his face. He had a light coat of sweat over his skin. It was obvious he had stayed long after practice to polish his skills.

A soft beep from her phone reminded her that Momoi was still waiting for her. Shoko took once last glance at the shooter before quietly exiting the gym.

Midorima paused mid-shoot when he heard the gym's door close. Lowering the basketball, he glanced around the empty gym to see if anyone was watching him. Wiping his sweat from his brow, Midorima's eyes narrowed when he noticed a cold sports drink on the bleacher.

"Where were you?" Momoi asked as she saw Shoko hurry out of the gym. The grey haired girl had a rather flushed expression on her face as she greeted the data analyst.

"I just got caught up with something," She replied evenly, adjusting the folder of the festival plans in her arms. "I have to redo the proposals for the cultural festival."

Momoi exhaled in exasperation. She knew well what kind of person the male representative was since they often clashed in student council. "Again?!" She raked her hand through her hair. "At this rate, we're going to have something stupid as our event. ." Momoi complained, pouting as the two of them walked towards the gate.

Shoko scoffed. As if she would allow her class to be subjected to the male representative's boring ideas. "I wrote some ideas down during class." Shoko replied, gesturing to the papers in her arms. "But the problem is the class budget. ."

Momoi blinked. "You should have gotten money for the supplies." When Shoko stared at her with a blank expression, Momoi furrowed her eyebrows. "It was included in the packet."

Shoko searched her belongings and frowned when she failed to see the envelope. Sighing loudly, she massaged her temples as she closed her eyes. "I must have misplaced it somewhere."

Momoi looked concerned. "This is the first time I've seen you so stressed." Her visage darkened as she held up her fist. "If this is causing you too much trouble, I can ask the representative to back off."

Shoko held up her hand in protest. "I had a lot of my mind lately." She managed a weak smile. She wasn't entirely concerned over the money – she was just worried that someone might steal her ideas that she had written on the envelope.

"But I'm fine." Shoko reassured Momoi. "Don't do anything that will make it worse." Momoi didn't look entirely convinced by Shoko's reply, but nodded anyways.

"Well, just tell me if you need help or something." Momoi said. "The festival is supposed to be a class event, you don't have to shoulder everything yourself."

* * *

Shoko closed her eyes as she felt the cool autumn air kiss her cheeks. It was almost the end of the week and she still didn't have a solid plan for the festival. She had asked her classmates for suggestions, but many said things that were already taken by the other classes.

Shoko held up the paper with the suggestions the male representative had written down. 'At this rate, we're going to have to do a card tournament.' Shoko frowned. The only reason he wanted to do one was because it was cheap and easy.

Crumpling the paper, she tossed it in the nearest trashcan and lay back down on the grassy hill. She tried remembering some of the events she had written on the envelope, but there were so many that she could only remember a handful.

'Back to square one.' Shoko thought with a deep frown.

"Hi, Shoko-chan! What's with the serious expression?" Shoko opened her eyes and saw Harumi standing in front of her with two bentos in his hands. Shoko sat up and greeted the upperclassman with a polite bow.

He handed her a box and took a seat beside her. "It's just the school festival." Shoko replied, opening the box. She smiled when she saw that it was packed with her favorites.

Harumi nodded as he slurped the noodles in his bento. "Ah, the infamous cultural festival." Since Teiko was a prestigious private middle school, the cultural festival gave the other schools a chance to explore the campus and heightened Teiko's reputation. "My class is doing a cosplay café!"

"I think I'm supposed to be dressed as a butler or something." Harumi continued, smoothing his hair back with his hand. "The class representatives are making me practice stupid lines to prepare for the event."

Shoko raised an eyebrow as she picked up a piece of fried chicken with her chopsticks. "What are they making you say?"

Shoko's eyes widened as Harumi suddenly turned towards her and tilted her chin up with his finger. "'Hello, princess. Are you enjoying the meal?'" Harumi said in a low voice. Shoko blinked as Harumi traced her jaw line.

"'Or are you enjoying the view more?'" He gave a suggestive raise of his eyebrow and licked his lips seductively.

A few moments passed before Shoko laughed. Harumi dropped his hands and resumed to his meal. "It sounds like you are in the host club." Shoko replied as she begun eating.

Harumi grinned. "Well, the third years are pretty confident that it's going to be a big hit this year." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "The guys and I are having a competition to see who has the most 'requests' for that day."

"So you should definitely stop by! I'll give you a special discount." Shoko smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when a deep voice interrupted.

"Haisaki, I have to talk to you." Shoko turned and saw Midorima standing behind her with his arms cross His expression was unreadable as he stared at the duo.

Shoko exchanged curious glances with Harumi. The upperclassman suddenly stood up and dusted the grass off his school uniform's pants. "I have to get back to class anyways," Harumi said. "I'll see you later, Shoko-chan!"

Ducking his head, Harumi quickly scurried past Midorima – not meeting his eyes as he left. Shoko had noticed that Harumi didn't interact with many of the basketball players aside from Kise.

Midorima disregarded Harumi's strange behavior and took a step forward.

Shoko turned back around. "What do you want?" Shoko poked at her food. Suddenly, she didn't have an appetite anymore.

Momoi had always said Shoko was so perceptive of other people that it was almost frightening. She could see what other people didn't want to see and acted like a mirror that reflected all of their imperfects back at them.

However, out of all people, she couldn't properly read Midorima. She didn't know what motives he had and it was strange to her.

He would treat her as if she didn't exist one moment and the next he would treat her as a regular classmate. It was very puzzling.

She didn't know if she disliked Midorima or just hated not being able to read him. Midorima cleared his throat and held something out.

Shoko stared at the envelope blankly and met his gaze with a suspicious look. Once Midorima realized the situation, a light scowl grazed his visage. "It's not a love letter." He looked almost repulsed by the thought.

"I never thought it was." The grey haired girl simply replied as she grabbed the envelope. "I was just wondering why you have it." It was the envelope that she had misplaced a couple of days ago.

"I found it." Shoko gave him a deadpanned look. "I found it near the basketball courts." Midorima clarified, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Shoko remained silent as she safely tucked the envelope into her pocket. "I don't like owing people." Midorima suddenly said. "I heard that your class still haven't agreed on an event to do."

Shoko sighed softly. She had heard all of the other second year classes had agreed on an event and had already begun planning for the festival. Shoko vaguely remembered that Midorima and Akashi's class were going to set up a crepe stand.

"In exchange for the drink you left, I think the first idea you wrote on the envelope is acceptable." Pursing her lips, Shoko took out the envelope and read what she had written.

Shoko looked up and noticed that Midorima had left without saying another word. Midorima was involved on the student council, so if _he _approved of the idea, the male class representative would most likely agree to it as well.

'Did he just help me?' Shoko wondered. She never thought that she would receive help from Midorima. While he had said it was for exchange for the drink, she wasn't entirely convinced.

Shoko shook her head, dismissing the thought from her mind. Perhaps she was just overthinking the situation.

The next few weeks were hectic. From juggling her duties as class representative and helping Momoi with the basketball team, Shoko felt mentally and physically drained by the time she got home.

Luckily, Teiko's basketball team had lived up to their standards and they secured a spot at the Winter tournament. Momoi had been ecstatic at their placing, but also stressed out because Akashi had proclaimed Teiko would take the crown for the second year in a row.

Momoi had a lot of pressure on her shoulders and Shoko thought it was her duty to help her best friend with the paperwork so Momoi could concentrate with strengthening the players' weaknesses.

The preparations for the school's festival were going smoothly as well. After Midorima had given her the green light on one of her ideas, the male class representative finally agreed with her proposal and they were slowly making progress.

While most of the second year classes' were doing cafes or plays, Shoko thought it was appropriate to go in a different direction and decided to sell roses instead. Each rose color symbolized a different meaning – love or friendship – and tied in with Christmas, which was quickly approaching.

Her class was excited once they heard about the event and word quickly spread throughout the school. While Shoko was pleased with the positive response, her workload doubled because she would need more roses to accommodate the demand.

Shoko felt her eyelids grow heavy as her history teacher continued lecturing about the Heian time period. She couldn't remember the last time she had a proper night of rest. Resisting the urge of yawn, she propped up her textbook and placed her head on her desk.

'I have to help Momoi set up for practice today,' Shoko made a mental note not to forget about the mandatory basketball practice after school. Closing her eyes, she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Shoko-chan~ Wake up!" A soft voice sang as the person twirled a strand of her grey hair with his finger. Taking a deep breath, Shoko slowly began to stir and opened her eyes.

Covering her mouth as she yawned, Shoko sat up in her chair and looked around. The classroom was empty. Shoko groaned as she glanced at the clock – school was already over. She slept through half of her classes.

Shoko turned her attention to the person sitting in front of her. Harumi grinned and held out a note to her. "Momoi-chan asked me to give this to you!" Shoko took the note and quickly read the contents.

**Shoko-chan,**

**Don't worry about basketball practice today! I have things taken care of – you should have told me that you were tired! I have the notes from the lectures you missed today, so don't worry about schoolwork either. Just go home and take a long rest – you deserve it! **

"You shouldn't overwork yourself, Shoko-chan! It can't be good for your health." Harumi looked genuinely concerned and his eyebrows were furrowed. Slipping the note in her pocket, Shoko shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Shoko replied as she began to place her books in her schoolbag. Taking note of the time, Shoko continued. "Shouldn't you be at practice?"

Shoko immediately noticed the crease between Harumi's eyebrows as she mentioned practice, but remained quiet as Harumi gave her a strained smile. "I'm actually not going to attend practices anymore. ." Harumi admitted, scratching his cheek.

"Why?" Shoko asked. "Did you quit?"

Harumi looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat. It was obvious he didn't really want to talk about it, but when Harumi made eye contact with Shoko, he felt ashamed for hiding his secret from her. "I just. ." The older boy began. "I just don't see the point of playing basketball anymore."

Shoko narrowed her eyes. "How childish. If you really felt that way, you would have quit the team."

He had heard rumors about Shoko before he had even met in person. With her brother as the ex-violent member of the basketball team, he was a bit apprehensive about approaching his sister and the rumors that surrounded her convinced Harumi to avoid Shoko for a while.

People had said that she was too perceptive. She reflected the things that people didn't want to see with such clarity that looking into her eyes was like looking into a mirror. He hated it.

He hated how he was so jealous and insecure. Harumi hated how he blamed his lack of talent in basketball on the Generation of Miracles. He hated being overshadowed.

He was _weak_.

Rather than accepting his weakness, he pushed the blame to the basketball team.

The look in Shoko's eyes reflected his exact thoughts and suddenly a burst of rage consumed the older classman. Shoko barely batted an eyelid as Harumi rose to his feet and flipped over her desk.

"Stop. . stop looking me like that!" Harumi yelled, kicking the desk in frustration. He was angry that he never got to play in Teiko's matches. While he was proud to belong on such a prestigious team, what was the point if he never got to participate in matches?

How was he supposed to be proud of his team when he barely got to step on the courts? The Generation of Miracles established a standard so high that stepping onto the courts with them would be like scaling an iron wall. "You don't understand anything!"

"You're right. I don't understand." Shoko answered, much to Harumi's surprise. "I don't understand the troubles the basketball has, but I do know that the Generation of Miracles are hard working individuals."

Shoko stood up and bent over to pick up her book bag. "They put twice as much effort into their practices because they have a passion for basketball." The girl straightened her back and locked eyes with Harumi.

"You're too weak, _senpai_. Rather than placing your blame on the members, why don't you invest your time on the courts instead of wasting your time?"

Shoko's head was turned to the side and the strands that had escaped from her ponytail hung in front of her face. Her eyes widened slightly as she gingerly touched her swollen cheek.

Turning her attention back to Harumi, the boy's hands were clenched on his sides. Swallowing a lump in his throat, his voice was quiet. "I thought out of all people you would have understood."

"But just like all other things, I guess I was wrong." Harumi forced a laugh and shook his head. "You're just like the rest of them." Turning on his heels, Harumi walked out of the room without another word.

Shoko stood there in stunned silence for a moment before lifting the desk back up and rearranging it back to its proper position. She stared at the wooden surface of her desk with such concentration that she didn't notice Midorima enter the classroom a few minutes later.

"Haisaki, I saw Harumi leave the building. Momoi said that he was supposed to take you home." The green haired shooter narrowed his eyes when Shoko barely acknowledged his presence and walked towards the girl.

"Normally, I wouldn't agree to escorting you home, but since it is supposed to be good luck to do a good deed for Cancers today." Midorima said, sliding his glasses up his nose with his index finger.

"So don't get used to this." Midorima said, "This is only a-" The green haired shooter stopped talking when Shoko finally lifted her head and his eyes were drawn to the large red handprint on her cheek. The redness was fading and a bruise was beginning to form.

A trace of concern flashed in his eyes. While Midorima didn't have a particular care for Shoko, the bruise looked like it hurt. "Haisaki, what-?"

"I went too far." Shoko replied easily, brushing her hair out of her face as she readjusted her book bag's strap on her shoulder. She didn't seem the least bit affected by the forming bruise on her delicate cheek.

"I said too much." Midorima furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but said nothing as Shoko closed her eyes and exhaled softly. "Let's go." Shoko took even strides towards the door, not taking a second glance behind her to see if Midorima was following her.

Midorima blinked, wondering what could have been the cause of Shoko's strange behavior. Midorima's eyes narrowed when he noticed two small water droplets on the surface of her desk and a small frown formed on his lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note : As always, thank you for your support! I hope you guys enjoy this story and will stick around till the end! Harumi really isn't that bad of a guy, he just has a lot of pent up anger towards the GoM and Shoko exploited his weakness. In a way, maybe Shoko is a bad person as well.

But now that Harumi is out of the way, I'm going to focus more on the development of Shoko and Midorimia! It'll be a slow development, but they will get closer throughout the chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter~ -helphwatiswrong

* * *

_"So what? I'm always telling you. Whether it's genius or prodigy, once it's broken, it's just garbage" - Hanamiya Makoto_

* * *

[07]

Momoi yawned, stretching her arms over her head as she exited the sports shop with Aomine trailing behind her with a scowl. The team needed new uniforms after some of the players – mainly Murasakibara – had a growth spurt over the break and Momoi had forced the ace to tag along.

"Well, now that we're done with basketball for the day, how about some food?" Momoi asked her childhood friend with a cheerful smile. "Of course, you'll be paying!" She continued with a playful wink.

Aomine frowned. Of course _he _would have to pay for her. Unlike other girls, Momoi had an unlimited appetite and could literally eat anything without gaining weight. _'Well she needs all the food to stay that energetic,'_ Aomine thought as Momoi decided that they were going to some desserts parlor she tried with Haisaki the other day.

Momoi stopped in her tracks causing Aomine to bump into her back. Tilting her head to the side, Momoi blinked. "Eh? Isn't that Harumi-kun?" Aomine knitted his eyebrows together and noticed the tall black haired boy walking towards their direction with his head down.

Aomine narrowed his eyes, noticing that the upperclassman had a pained expression of his face. "Harumi-kun!" Momoi called out, waving towards the upperclassman.

When he looked up, Aomine noticed with slight interest that a flash of guilt was in his eyes. Harumi managed a weak smile towards Momoi, but once he noticed Aomine was standing behind her, his smile faded and he ducked his head.

"Sorry, I have to go." Harumi murmured, quickly walking past the two. Aomine lifted his eyebrow while Momoi scratched her head at Harumi's odd behavior.

Aomine suddenly realized something. "Huh, this is probably the first time I seen him without Haisaki." The Teiko ace drawled out, cracking his fingers as he yawned. Usually, he saw the boy literally trailing after the shorter grey haired girl like a lovesick puppy.

"Eh?" Momoi furrowed her eyebrows together as she puffed her cheeks. "You act like it's a bad thing. Harumi-kun is very kind to Shoko-chan!"

Aomine rolled his eyes, dismissing Momoi's statement with a casual flick of his wrist. "I don't care about their love life, but I personally think it's a bad idea. Haisaki has trouble written all over her."

After word had gotten out that Shoko was occasionally helping out on the basketball team, other girls had approached the members with the same request. Akashi had gotten so annoyed by the unwanted attention that he began to schedule practices on weekends at the gym.

Aomine was beginning to grow bored of the practices and felt unmotivated to do his best at games. "What are you trying to say, Dai-kun?" Momoi frowned, crossing her arms across her chest. Aomine gulped, the pink haired girl only did this when she was upset.

"Look, Satsuki. I'm just saying the whole ordeal with her brother and the team is still fresh." Momoi didn't look too impressed by his answer, so Aomine tried again. "It's not like I have anything against Haisaki _personally_, it's just that the team doesn't feel comfortable around her with what happened last year."

Momoi narrowed her eyes. "What happened with her brother has nothing to do with Shoko-chan. She helped me a lot with the paperwork so I could focus on your playing."

Aomine sighed heavily. "Fine. I don't care anymore." She could do all the paperwork in the world, but it could never change the player's view of Shoko and her brother. Ever since Haisaki left the team, they were at the prime of their game and kept winning tournaments.

But it felt like there was something missing in the team and no one could figure out what it was. Aomine had a feeling that Kuroko knew, but the misdirection expert kept his mouth shut.

Momoi wrinkled her nose in annoyance, but dropped the subject completely. She knew that the basketball team was apprehensive about her spending so much time with Shoko, but she was friends with her before Haisaki was kicked off the team and she would remain her friend throughout the end.

* * *

"Haisaki. .If something. .bad happened. .Do you want to talk about it?" Midorima slowly managed out, walking beside the grey haired girl. Ever since they left the building, Midorima noticed that the girl had a certain hardness in her eyes.

"No." Shoko replied, keeping her eyes straight. Her voice was short and clipped and there was a slight frown on her lips.

Midorima pushed his glasses up as he glanced at the shorter girl. The swelling had gone done from her cheek, but a nasty bruise was beginning to form. Midorima cringed slightly as he wondered why Harumi would hit her with so much force.

Aquariuses and Scorpios were supposed to be compatible. He didn't understand what possessed the upperclassmen to hit a girl and was tempted to check the Scorpio's horoscope for the day, but found it insensitive to pull his phone out.

While Midorima liked to keep to himself and away from other people's business, Kise often updated the basketball players about Shoko and Harumi. The last he heard, Harumi was beginning to actively pursue Shoko and surprising, she wasn't ignoring him like the rest of the class population.

In a way, Shoko was similar to Midorima. She tended to stay away from people's businesses and kept to herself. However, since her family was filthy rich and she transferred from Hyotei, people perceived her as a snob – which Shoko didn't seem to mind.

"You should-"

"Just let it go." Shoko cut in before Midorima could finish his sentence. The tone in her voice was frosty as she casted a long gaze at the shooter. "I would prefer if you keep this to yourself."

The tone in her voice left no room for arguments and she stopped in front of her house. Midorima stared at the massive gates behind the girl and wondered why she was so guarded.

There were very few people that managed to overcome to barrier Shoko had placed between herself and her peers. Ever time Midorima saw her by herself, she had a calm expression – which so different from her brother, who always had a snide smile on his lips.

Momoi and Kise were the two most outgoing on the basketball team, so they easily befriended Shoko. Kise – however – still retained a respectful distance from the girl and didn't give her a nickname.

Midorima found it interesting that Kise willingly began talking Shoko – especially after the torment her brother subjected him to their freshman year.

It was true that the members of the basketball team felt uneasy around Shoko. The girl noticed early on and retained a respectful distance from the players.

Midorima briefly wondered if the girl ever resented her brother for what he did to the team and wondered if she ever felt lonely.

"Well, well. Are my eyes deceiving me or is Shintaro standing in front of my house?" Midorima stiffened at the sound of Shogo's voice while Shoko looked annoyed. The green haired shooter turned his head and acknowledged the former player with a stiff bow of his head.

"Hello, Haisaki." He greeted through his teeth.

"What the hell are you doing here, Shintaro?" Shogo asked, narrowing his eyes at his former teammate. He barely acknowledged his sister's presence as he stared at Midorima.

"The last time I checked, Seijuro told the members to stay clear of me." An animalistic grin appeared on his face. "He said that he. . _feared _for your safety."

Shogo was the only member on the basketball team that called everyone by their given name. He was the only member that didn't give a shit about what others thought of him and always got what he wanted – which made the members dislike him.

"Shogo, stop it." Shoko cut in, crossing her arms across her chest. "Don't do anything stupid that you'll regret later."

Shogo furrowed his eyebrows and turned his attention towards his sister. He raised an eyebrow at the bruise forming on her cheeks. "What's this?" He took a step forward and probed the bruise on her cheek. Shoko barely flinched and stared at her brother with a flat expression. "Is the basketball team picking on you?"

Shoko slapped his hand away. "No. They have nothing to do with this." Her brother didn't look too impressed by her answer, but smirked anyways.

"You know Shintaro," Shogo began, inspecting the bruise on his sister's face. "It'll be such a shame if I find that whoever did this belongs on the basketball team."

Shogo glanced over his shoulder and gave him a twisted grin. "As you know, I tend to act out rather violently. ." Shogo gave him one last arrogant smirk before opening the gates.

Shoko stiffened as Shogo slung an arm around her shoulder and lead her inside. "Oh, one last thing Shintaro. Tell the team that I'll be seeing them _very_ soon." The gates slammed shut behind the siblings and Midorima stared at the massive iron gates with a lump in his throat.

Midorima pulled out his phone and let out the breath he didn't even know that he was holding in. His hands trembled slightly as he pulled up the familiar horoscope homepage.

_'So much for good luck today,'_ Midorima thought as he waited for the page to load. He nearly dropped his phone as he read the forecast for that day and a pit of dread settled in his stomach.

**Scorpios beware! Things are about to go sour for you. Relationships will be broken and an unwanted visitor will soon enter your life again. Don't act on your anger or you will lose a close friend. Your lucky item today is a four-leaf clover. You need all the luck you can get! **

Midorima snapped his phone closed. A grim expression was on his face as he looked up at the story and noticed a storm was brewing. His thought were racing behind his calm façade, but the only thing on his mind right now was the root of the problem.

Harumi.

* * *

"So Shoko, do you care to tell me who did this to you or should I just start guessing?" Shogo asked as he literally dragged his sister into the house. Shogo slammed the front door open and pushed her towards the nearest maid.

The maid looked horrified at the bruise on Shoko's cheek and immediately rushed off to find the first aid kit. Shoko frowned at the triumphed smirk on her brother's face. He had finally found his excuse to get his revenge on the basketball team.

"Shogo, don't do anything you'll regret." Shoko quietly warned again as the maid returned with a pack of ice and ointment. She winced as the maid gently pressed the cold pack on her cheek.

Her brother feigned offense. "Me? Do anything I'll regret?" Shogo scoffed as he sat on the sofa. The maid shook her head as Shogo placed his feet on the coffee table. "Come on, Shoko, you know I never regret anything I do."

Shoko frowned as the maid began applying the cool ointment on her cheek. She knew even if she didn't tell who hit her, her brother would find out sooner or later. He was just waiting for an excuse to attack the team and now that he found his chance, Shoko felt uneasy.

"So who was it?" Shogo asked again, fiddling with his phone as he stared at his sister. "I'm guessing it was probably Daiki. He looks like the bastard to hit girls."

Shoko nodded her head absentmindedly when the maid finished patching up her bruise and instructed her to keep pressure off her cheek. "It wasn't him." Shoko replied, dismissing the maid with a curt nod.

Shoko joined her brother in the living room and stood in front of him with her arms crossed. "I know that you're still upset about the team, but don't be petty."

A flash of anger flickered in Shogo's eyes, but disappeared as he smirked. "Ah, I almost forgot how perspective you could be." Shoko narrowed her eyes at her brother. He sounded so confident. "That must be why you got that." He gestured to her bruise.

Shoko remained silent, which only confirmed her brother suspicions. "Hah! This is easier than I thought it was." Shogo scoffed, removing his feet from the coffee table and rising to his feet.

He took a step forward, closing the distance between them and stared down at her with a leer. "You overstepped your boundaries again, Shoko." Shoko gritted her teeth as her brother poked her uninjured cheek with his finger. "Aw, are you getting angry, Shoko?" Her brother teased as he laughed.

"Don't worry Shoko. You're big brother will take care of all of this." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You just leave it to your big brother." His expression turned dark as a large smirk stretched across his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note : You guys are the best! Thank you for all of the positive feedbacks! What do you think will happen to Shoko and her brother now? Keep in mind that Shoko does understand where Shogo's anger came from, so she doesn't really _hate _him per say. To the anonymous user that commented recently, thank you for your reviews! I decided to address your points in here because I wanted to clarify some things.

1. While it is true that family members in Japan address each other by their given names, keep in mind that Shoko and Keigo are _cousins_ and they aren't as close as brothers or sisters. Besides, Shoko told Keigo not to address her by her family name in that chapter.

2. Please keep in mind that this is a fanfiction. While there may be some irregularities from the original plot line – like how Momoi addresses Aomine or Akashi – don't let the minor details deter you from the content. I'll keep your comment in mind though.

Anyways, thank you for the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"_At this rate, we will only keep chasing them while the situation gets worse." – Kuroko Tetsuya_

* * *

[08]

"Momoi." The pink haired girl looked up from her magazine to see the male class representative – Gotou – standing in front of her desk with a stack of papers in his arms. "Haisaki isn't present again?" He looked displeased and handed the papers to the basketball manager.

"I need you to deliver this to her by today." Momoi stared at him dumbfounded. "It's the final preparations for the festival." He clarified, pushing his black-rimmed glasses up his nose.

"Uh. .Okay." Momoi replied, blinking as Gotou left without another word. She wondered why Gotou didn't just visit Shoko himself, but remembered that he didn't like to involve himself into troublesome situations.

The only reason he became a class representative was because his friends all voted for him as a joke. Kise bumped shoulders with Gotou as he entered the classroom and offered the class representative an apologetic smile, which Gotou returned with a scowl.

Kise looked confused, but walked over to Momoi – who was flipping through the papers Gotou had given her with slight interest. "What's that, Momoichi?" Kise asked, taking the seat in front of Momoi's desk.

"Just some papers he asked me to deliver to Shoko." Momoi replied, placing the papers into her bag. Kise raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shoko's empty desk.

"It isn't like Shoko-chan to miss school three days in a row," Kise remarked. "I wonder if anything happened. ."

Momoi frowned. "Well, she was overworked last week, so I'm sure she's just at home resting." Momoi looked concern. It really was out of the ordinary for Shoko to miss so many days from school because she wasn't the type to skip without a legitimate reason. "She hasn't really been responding to my messages either."

Kise furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, I'm sure that she's fine!" Kise finally said with a bright smile. "Shoko-chan's really strong, so she'll be back tomorrow!"

Momoi returned his smile. "Yeah! I'll just check up on her after practice!"

While the two were smiling on the outside, they felt like something was very, very wrong deep inside. But neither Momoi nor Kise could voice their concerns because they didn't know why they were feeling that way.

'_Shoko. .What are you doing right now?'_ Momoi wondered as the teacher entered the classroom and began the school day.

* * *

Shoko took a deep breath as she drew the arrow and held the bow steady as she fixated her attention on the swinging target. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she watched the target swing back and forth.

"_I thought out of all people, you would have understood."_ Harumi's voice suddenly echoed in her head as she released the arrow. Shoko flinched as the sharp tip grazed her finger and watched dully as the arrow made a pitiful attempt to hit the target.

"_You're just the rest of them._"

Shoko bit her lip and threw her bow down on the wooden floor. Kicking a barrel of arrows, she screamed in frustration; her hands clenched to her side.

She was like the rest of them? Who? The Generation of Miracles?

Shoko wanted to laugh. She was never close to any of the members on the basketball team and for Harumi to associate herself with them was like a slap in the face.

Four days had passed since she had last spoke to Harumi. Although the older classman had tried to contact her a couple times since the incident, she ignored his phone calls and left Tokyo for the weekend.

Shougo was still pestering her about who gave her the injury, but Shoko remained silent on the issue. Who was really to blame in the situation? Was it Harumi's lack of control or was it her insensitiveness?

Taking a seat on the ground, Shoko watched idly as the targets swung back and forth. Maybe she really was at fault. She pushed the boundaries too far and Harumi acted out in defense.

Or perhaps it was Harumi's fault. He had pushed his weakness and lack of motivation on the talented first stringers. He was so blinded by his jealously of the players that he didn't stop to think that maybe he was holding himself back.

Shoko was broken from her thoughts when her cell phone rang. "What do you want?" She answered dully as she pressed a button and watched the targets immediately stop swinging.

"Ah, Shoko? Where are you?" Momoi's voice replied on the other end of the line. The pink haired girl made no comment on the lack of emotion in Shoko's voice. "I went to your house to drop off the festival paperwork, but your housekeeper said that you weren't home. ."

Shoko pursued her lips and replied after a brief moment of silence. "I went to Taito (1) for the weekend." Before Momoi could as her why, Shoko continued. "Please leave the paperwork to the housekeeper. I will be back tomorrow night."

". . Eh? Okay. ." Momoi replied sounding confused at the crispness in Shoko's voice. "Are you okay though? I hope you aren't overworking yourself." Momoi chided.

"I'm fine. I just needed some time to get away from everything." Shoko replied, inspecting the injury on her finger. "Don't worry about me."

"Well alright, I'll wait for you to come back then!" Momoi's voice suddenly became more upbeat. "By the way, have you talked to Harumi-kun lately? It seems like he has been avoiding the basketball team lately. .I checked the attendance sheet and it seems like he has been skipping a lot of practices too."

Shoko's visage remained impassive as she thought back to the times she and Harumi spent time together. She didn't say anything then, but she was curious to how he could miss so many practices without being caught.

Momoi had been focusing all of her attention on the first stringers, so she must have forgotten about the other players until now. "I haven't talked to him lately." Shoko finally said. "He must be busy with preparations with the festival as well."

"Well alright, if you say so. ." Momoi didn't sound too convinced, but dropped the subject when it was obvious Shoko wasn't going to divulge any more information to the data analyst.

The rest of the conversation comprised of Shoko absentmindedly listening to Momoi's updates about school and the basketball team. According to the data analyst, they were well on their way of receiving the championship trophy for the second year in a row.

"That's great, Momoi. I'm happy for you." Shoko heard approaching footsteps and turned towards the source. Her brother stood at the entrance of the archery grounds with a large smirk.

Shoko's frown deepened. "I'm going to have to call you back." She ended the phone call before Momoi could say another word. Shoko stood up and dusted the imaginary dust off of her clothes.

Her brother was the first to speak. "Skipping school now aren't we, Shoko?" He shook his head in mock disappointment. "It seems like I'm beginning to rub off on you."

Shoko ignored his remark. "What are you doing here?" She had left Tokyo without telling anyone where she was going. She felt a little disturbed that her brother had no trouble finding her at all.

Before the incident with Harumi, Shougo disregarded her presence and brushed her off like an annoying thorn on his side. After he concluded that it was someone from the basketball team that hit her, he suddenly had an immense interest on her life and began hovering around her like a moth drawn to fire.

Shougo blinked innocently. "What, I can't visit the company's sport center because I don't play basketball anymore?" While her family wasn't as rich as Atobe's, the Haisaki family was fairly wealthy and they owned several sport centers throughout Japan. "I don't think I really need a reason to check up on my sister, do I?"

Shoko scowled – which was uncharacteristic for the usually apathetic girl. Her brother looked amused by her expression and looked around the room with faux fascination.

Shoko watched as her brother picked up one of the fallen arrows. "Stay away from the basketball team." She said suddenly. Shougo turned his attention back on his sister; he raised his eyebrow as a feral grin began emerging on his lips.

He walked closer towards his sister and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. Shoko remained motionless as she glared at her brother. "But don't you want your big brother to catch the criminal who hurt you?"

His voice was light, but full of mockery as he traced the faded bruise on her cheek. His eyes narrowed dangerously when Shoko slapped his hand away.

"Don't try to pull me into whatever games you are playing." Shoko snapped. "I saw you practicing basketball at Keigo's summer villa."

For once, Shougo didn't immediately reply with a snarky reply. "I don't know what you are planning," Shoko continued, "but if you take a step near the basketball players, you _will _regret it."

Shougo's mouth twitched before he started to laugh. "Resorting to threats now?" He said in between his laughter. He placed his hand on her head, pushing her head back so she could meet his eyes. "You really are becoming more like me every day."

"But, my _dear _sister, you got it all wrong." Shougo pushed her back. Startled by the sudden force, Shogo's knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Her brother began to pace around her like a predator circling its prey. "**I'm **not doing anything to break up the basketball team."

"The team that you are so desperately trying to protect. .I wonder if they would do the same for you?" Shougo suddenly said, steering the conversation to an entirely different topic.

There was a brief look of shock in Shoko's eyes, but Shougo – being as irritatingly observant as his sister – caught onto it immediately and his smile grew. "They would throw you under the bus, Shoko."

"All in order to protect their 'family'." He made air quotes when he said this. "Which, by the way, you are not a part of." He sneered. Shoko clenched her fists as she stared up at her brother angrily.

"Why should you protect them when it's obvious they wouldn't do the same for you?" Shoko bit her lip; a telltale sign that she was nervous. "Shoko, whose side are you really on?" Her brother asked, his eyes staring straight into hers.

Shoko was the first to look away. She averted her gaze to the ground. Shoko bit her lip harder as she stared at the wooden flooring.

She had lost this round.

"Heh," Shougo gave a triumphed smirk, satisfied with his win for the day. He turned on his heels and began walking towards the exit. His loud footsteps echoed with each confident step he took.

"Wait." Shougo stopped in his tracks when Shoko finally spoke up. Her gaze was still on the ground, but her hands were clenched defiantly to her sides. "Don't do anything that you'll regret later on." She said quietly.

Shougo was silent for a moment. "Anything that I'll regret?" Her brother repeated, tilting his head to the side. His trademark smirk stretched across his face. "Who are you really trying to protect in this situation?"

Shoko remained silent, but her brother took her silence as her answer. Satisfied, he left the room without another word.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note : **Warning, this is kind of long. Don't read unless you really want to know where this story is going.**

Where am I going with this story. . .? Haha, just kidding, I have a vague feeling on how I'm going to end this story, but I'm not sure how I should approach it.

Yes, sadly to say, Reign of the Champions is coming to an end soon. But wait! You haven't properly ended the story yet! When are Midorima and Shoko going to get together? Are they _ever _going to get together?

. .That is probably what you guys are saying right now. Rest assure, I won't end the story without cleaning up the loose ends. That means you can expect to see a lot more interaction between Shoko and Midorima – _and I mean __**a lot**__. _He's probably going to end up in every chapter (horray!).

But what is this talk about ending Reign of the Champions so early? Well, I mulled around with this idea for a while, but I decided that I was going to separate it into different arcs. So after Teiko arc is over, I'm going to write a story about them in high school.

Yay! Good news right? It depends how long I end up writing the chapters, but there will probably be at least 5 more chapters till the end of Teiko (cause they are at the end of their second year after all. .)

Anyways, after the Teiko arc is over, I'm going to take a short hiatus before starting the high school arc! Don't worry, I'll still update with short mini stories during the hiatus.

TLDR : Reign of the Champions will be separated into different arcs.

* * *

_"Know your place." – Akashi Seijurou_

[09]

Classes ended early that day since it was Saturday and everyone in Class 3-4 was buzzing with excitement about the school festival that was quickly approaching.

Everyone except for Harumi, who sat at his desk with his face covered with hands. His classmates had obviously noticed the suddenly change in demeanor of the usually energetic boy, but said nothing after he snapped at the last person who had asked him what was wrong.

Haisaki Shoko had finally returned to school that day. While his classmates didn't usually involve themselves in the affairs of underclassmen, the whole third year floor was exchanging rumors about the faint bruise on her cheek.

"I heard that she got into the fight with the yazuka." A female whispered in a low tone to her friend. "I mean, how else is her family so wealthy?"

Her friend shook her head. "I wouldn't be surprised seeing how her brother has a violent temper. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all."

Harumi sank in his seat and wished that the ground would engulf him to save him from further mortification. After he had cooled down, Harumi felt guilty – he hit a _girl _– and immediately called Shoko in order to apologize.

As expected, the girl had ignored his calls and when he went to visit her classroom, he heard that she had been absent for three days. 'I'm such an idiot.' Harumi sulked. Of course _he_ would lose his temper and hit the girl he had a crush on.

The loud chattering suddenly dulled into a soft murmur as the door opened. Harumi heard footsteps approach his desk, but didn't have the energy to visit the visitor. It wasn't until the visitor spoke that Harumi lifted his head.

"Takagawa-senpai."

Harumi wrinkled his brows as he lifted his head. No one – not even teachers – addressed him by his family name. Turning his head, he felt the blood drain from his face as he saw his former teammate standing beside his desk.

Harumi's classmates watched with slight interest as Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose. It wasn't everyday that a member from the Generation of Miracles visited a lower string player. "A-ah. Hello, Midorima-kun. Wh-What can I do for you?" He managed a weak smile to push the feelings of uneasiness aside.

The green haired boy was silent for a moment, as if he didn't really know what to say either. Clearing his throat, the talented shooter finally spoke. "May I speak with you alone? There is something I want to ask you."

'No.' Harumi automatically answered mentally. While he didn't know why Midorima was talking to him in the first place, Harumi couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness from his system. "U-Uh. .Sure. ." Harumi lamely said instead as he stood up.

He couldn't help but to droop his shoulders slightly. Shoko was right. He was weak against the Generation of Miracles. Harumi followed Midorima outside the classroom and to a relatively secluded area under the stairwell.

"Don't tell me this is a confession." Harumi joked lightly, shaking his head at the stereotypical location Midorima had chosen. The green haired shooter looked unamused and glared at the slightly taller boy.

Harumi's smile faded and he resorted the kicking the floor lightly. "So, what is it that you want to talk about?" He asked awkwardly. Even though they were on the same basketball team, they rarely interacted more than a passing nod.

A slight frown was on Midorima's lips. He was obviously affected by Harumi's joke, but tried to brush it off as trivial. "It's about Haisaki." Midorima said.

Harumi instantly stiffened when Midorima mentioned her name. "I saw that Scorpios were having especially bad luck three days ago and was wondering if it had any correlation to what happened to Haisaki."

"It's not like I'm concerned for Haisaki or anything," Midorima quickly added. "You were the last person to see Haisaki." His eyes narrowed slightly in accusation.

Harumi didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. The green haired shooter was accusing Harumi of hitting Shoko based of silly horoscopes. The sad thing was that Midorima was correct with his assumption.

"What happened?" Midorima asked.

Harumi's throat went dry. He didn't know what relationship Midorima had with Shoko, but he remembered that Midorima was very close to the other Generation of Miracles. If he confessed now, Harumi was sure that word would eventually reach Shougo's ears.

Aomine's warning echoed in his ears. _"I heard that big brother had a particular hatred towards basketball players."_ Harumi gulped. While he never had a personal encounter with Shougo, the rumors that surrounded the ex-basketball player was enough to make Harumi wary of his temper.

"I. .-" He began.

"Did you do it?" Midorima pressured. "Were you the one that hit her?"

Harumi felt his stomach churn. The look in Midorima's eyes already told him that he knew about what he did – he just wanted confirmation. "I-"

"He didn't do anything." A familiar voice cut him off. Harumi's eyes widened as he saw Shoko standing behind Midorima with a stack of papers in her arms.

Midorima didn't look convinced and opened his mouth to speak. Shoko cut him off before he could say a word. "I appreciate the concern, Midorima-san, but what happened between us is my business."

A frown tugged on the shooter's lips. "I wasn't particularly concerned." He retorted, pushing his glasses up his nose. "The basketball team has a reputation to maintain. As vice-captain, I cannot have useless rumors floating around."

Shoko pursed her lips. "Hm. Is that so?" She said, tilting her head to the side. "It looks like the rumors are false, so you can rest assure that your reputation is not tarnished."

Midorima looked like he wanted to say something else, but decided against it. "Very well." He turned back towards Harumi and gave him a stiff bow. "I apologize for accusing you."

Midorima didn't sound the least bit apologetic, but Harumi weakly smiled. "I-It's okay! Mistakes happen." Midorima looked disgruntled by his remark, but said nothing else.

He turned to give Shoko a curt nod before walking away. After Midorima left, Harumi nervously glanced at Shoko. She stared at him with the same passive face she always had.

Harumi felt a little crestfallen when he noticed there was a guarded look in her eyes that wasn't there before. "Shoko-chan. .I. ." He began as he swallowed nervously.

Shoko cut him off once again. "Save it." Harumi flinched at the frostiness in her tone. "Please don't misunderstand what happened here." Shoko continued, her eyes blank at she spoke.

"I don't forgive you." Shoko said bluntly. Harumi looked hurt. "This is goodbye, senpai. Don't ever approach me again or I will tell my brother what happened." With her final thoughts said, Shoko turned on her heels and began walking away.

"W-Wait, Shoko-chan. .!" The girl ignored his calls and continued walking down the hallway with brisk strides. "Shoko-chan. .!"

Shoko frowned as she walked down the hallway. Harumi's voice was fading as the distance increased, but she could still pick out his voice from the crowd. 'What an annoyingly persistent guy.' She thought, irritated.

Shoko's eyes softened as she turned the corner. 'Goodbye senpai.'

* * *

Midorima knew that Shoko was lying. There was no doubt about it. Every fiber in his body screamed that she was lying when she bluntly told him that Harumi had nothing to do with her injury.

He wasn't stupid and frankly, he was a little bit insulted that Shoko thought that her lie would fly pass him so easily. A frown tugged on the shooter's lips. But why was he so bothered by the situation?

Shoko was right; it didn't really concern him in the first place. They were nothing more than mere acquaintances, but Midorima couldn't shake the uneasiness from his system.

"Oh? It isn't like you to look so absentminded." An amused voice remarked. Midorima snapped out of his daze and focused his attention on the shorter red haired boy.

"What's on your mind, Shintaro?" Akashi asked, although judging from the look on the captain's face, Midorima had a feeling that Akashi already knew.

". .The festival preparations." Midorima automatically responded. Akashi lifted a cool brow.

"The festival preparations, huh?" Akashi repeated. "Well, just be sure that the 'preparations' don't distract you from what is really important."

They had their last game for the championship next month, so Akashi was always reminding the members to keep focus. Midorima scoffed. "When did I ever lose my focus?" He retorted.

Akashi's brow remained raised. He didn't believe Midorima. Letting out a soft chuckle, Akashi shook his head. "If you miss your shots during practice today, you should not blame it on your horoscope."

"I heard it was a very good day for Cancers." Akashi said, before disappearing into their classroom. Midorima stood outside their classroom for a moment. After collecting his scattered thoughts, Midorima took a deep breath before walking away from the classroom.

"Eh? Why isn't Midorima-kun coming to class?" A girl asked Akashi after seeing the green haired shooter walk away.

"Is he finally playing hooky?!" The boy next to the girl asked, taking note of the time. There was less than five minutes until lunch was over.

Akashi ignored his classmates and took his seat near the window. 'Haisaki, huh?' A small frown tugged on the captain's lips. He should have figured that Haisaki would somehow continue to have a hold on the basketball team.

In this case, his sister was slowly breaking down the iron walls Akashi built around the basketball players. While Midorima wanted to admit it or not, Akashi could tell that Shoko was beginning to have an effect on the shooter.

It was too early to tell if it was a positive or negative effect, but one thing was for certain.

Things were changing within the team and Akashi did not like it at all.

* * *

"Thank you again for delivering these papers, Haisaki!" Niwa – the homeroom teacher for class 2-4 – shouted out as Shoko left the teacher's office. She gave him a curt bow before sliding the door close.

Since the school festival was nearing, it seemed as her responsibilities as class representative had doubled since she got back. Gouto – the male representative – was annoyed by her absence and left the rest of the preparations to her.

Luckily, there wasn't much left to do – Gouto had surprisingly done most of the work – so all she had to do was wait until the day and pray that the event was a success.

Checking the time on her wristwatch, Shoko debated whether she should go back to class or just skip out entirely. Shoko glanced outside the window and decided that she would rather spend the rest of her hour outside.

As Shoko turned the corner, her lips tugged into a small frown as she saw a familiar figure standing at the end of the hallway. "Are you following me?" She asked plainly, suddenly stopping a few feet away from Midorima.

"I already told you that nothing happened, so why don't you just let it go?" Shoko huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It doesn't look like nothing to me." Shoko flinched slightly at his words. "Let's go to the rooftop." Without another word, Midorima began walking towards the staircase that led to the rooftop.

Shoko grimaced. What made him so confident that she was going to follow him? She could have easily just turned in the other direction and left while his back was to her, but she couldn't bring herself move in the opposite direction.

With a deep sigh, Shoko followed Midorima up the staircase. Once they reached the rooftop, Shoko immediately went towards the railing and leaned on them. For a few minutes, neither party said a word.

What was to be said?

They weren't exactly friends, yet they weren't enemies either.

Midorima cleared his throat, effectively breaking the silence. "Why are you keeping it a secret?"

"It doesn't really concern you does it, Midorima-kun?"

"We could kick him off the basketball team for engaging in violence."

Shoko scoffed. Everything just had to link back to basketball. "It wouldn't make a difference anyways."

There was a brief pause and then, "What happened?"

Shoko stared out at the school's courtyard. "This doesn't really concern you, Midorima-kun." Shoko repeated, brushing her hair to the side. "I would appreciate it if you just drop the subject."

Midorima's eyebrow twitched. "Why are you being so stubborn?" A deep frown appeared on his lips as he pushed his glasses up with his index finger. "As the vice-captain of the basketball team, I have the right to know what my players have been up to."

A laugh escaped from Shoko's lips. She turned around to face Midorima. "What are you more concern about?" Shoko shot back. "Are you actually concerned about me or are you more concerned about your reputation?"

Midorima looked taken back. "I-"

" 'Your players'?" Shoko repeated with a snarl. "The only players on the basketball team you are concerned about are the Generation of Miracles."

"You don't care about anyone else outside of your team. _They_ don't care about anyone else outside the circle." Shoko continued. She couldn't stop. Her emotions that were bottled up the past few weeks were slowly becoming uncorked because of Midorima.

"I'm sick and tired of being compared with my brother. I know that you may have had issues with him in the past, but none of that concerns me." Midorima swore that he saw a trace of sadness in her eyes, but as soon as he saw it, it disappeared as she closed her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. "Just forget that anything happened."

"I'll make sure that the Haisakis won't cause trouble for the basketball team anymore." Shoko said with a wry smile. Midorima stared at her as he collected his thoughts.

Maybe the Generation of Miracles was subconsciously discriminating against her because of her brother. It wasn't as if it was intentional. After all, Haisaki Shougo had caused a lot of trouble for the team their freshman year. It got so serious at a point where their safety was threatened during practices.

There had always been a distant between Shoko and the team. No one wanted to admit it, but it was always there. Even Kise – the most outgoing player on the team – kept his distance on Shoko by refusing to attach his trademark "cchi" at the end of her name.

She must have noticed. 'No,' Midorima thought, internally shaking his head. She _did _notice. The one thing that Shoko shared with her brother was their uncanny ability of perception.

She could notice the slightest flaw in any person, but she never used it in a cruel way – unlike her brother.

Midorima may be a little dense, but he wasn't stupid.

Shoko was essentially nobody and she knew her role. Classmates were too afraid of approaching her due to her brother and the basketball team wanted to do nothing with her _because _of her brother.

Although she and Momoi were friends, Momoi still kept a respectful distance away from Shoko.

Harumi was probably the first person to approach her without any fear of her brother. But after their little incident, Midorima had a feeling that Harumi wouldn't be approaching her again anytime soon.

". . .I'm sorry."

Shoko looked taken back by his sudden apology and raised her eyebrow. "For what?"

What was he apologizing for?

Was he apologizing for his teammate's irresponsible behavior?

Was he apologizing for the time he tried to keep Momoi away from Shoko?

Or was he apologizing for comparing her to her brother?

Midorima wasn't quite sure himself.

"I'm just. .sorry." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Shoko didn't look too pleased with his answer. "For everything." Midorima amended.

Shoko stared at him for the longest time before shaking her head. "You're the last person I thought I would see apologize to me." She said flatly. Midorima grimaced. The more he thought about it, the more he could see the resemblance between Shoko's and Kuroko's personalities.

'Well, they are both Aquarius.' He thought.

"But thank you, Midorima-san." She offered him a small smile. Midorima blinked. This was the first time she had ever smiled at him. Usually her expression was passive every time he saw her. "Apology accepted."

Shoko cleared her throat. "I know that I can't take back what my brother did to the team, but let's start over." She held out her hand, waiting for him to accept her handshake. "My name is Shoko. Not Haisaki Shoko – just Shoko."

Midorima's expression remained passive as his hand enveloped hers. Although neither party said anything, they both knew that there would be drastic changes in the future. "It's nice to meet you, Shoko-san."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note : Thank you all for your support! I'll keep this note short and dive quickly into the story, but I always love reading your reviews! Keep up the lovely reviews and hope you enjoy the story! – helpwhatiswrong

* * *

_"If you oppose me, I will kill you no matter who you are." –Akashi Seijurou_

* * *

**[10]**

The school festival was at full swing with the hallways crowded with students from various schools checking out booths manned by Teiko students. The atmosphere was lively as students happily chatted with one another as they pushed through the crowded hallways.

"Hey! Can I get four red roses?" Shoko snapped out of her daze and focused her attention on the frazzled upperclassman that had pushed his way to the front of the line. He placed the money on the counter as Shoko wordlessly handed over the flowers.

Shoko watched as he dashed down the hallways and shook her head. She had no doubt that he would give the flowers to four different girls. He was a notorious playboy, yet girls seem to keep flocking after him.

Kise joined her at the table and picked up the money he had left on the counter. "Looks like the event is a big hit, Shoko-chan!" He said happily as he slipped in the money in the class jar. "If we keep this up, we'll win first place for sure!"

Every year, Teiko had an event in which for whatever class raised the most money during the festival, they would be rewarded with a three-day trip to Yokohama. Shoko wasn't particularly excited about the prize, but her class had been amped up about it since the beginning of the semester.

"Kise-kun~! We need more help cutting the flowers!" A couple of girls called out to the energetic blonde. Kise signaled that he would be over in a moment and turned his attention back to Shoko.

"Sooo, I heard that you were getting friendly with Midorimacchi the other day~" Kise ended his comment with a suggestive raise of his brows. "Since when did you get so close with him?" Kise wondered.

Shoko frowned. It had been nearly a week since she had broken down in front of Midorima. Ever since their encounter, it wasn't as if their 'friendship' progressed to more than a passing nod in the hallways. 'Well, of course he would make a mountain out of a hill. . (1)' Shoko thought as Kise smiled brightly.

"We're not close friends." Shoko replied bluntly, much to Kise's dismay. Shoko turned towards Kise and narrowed her eyes. "If you have so much time to gossip, go over and help them cut the flowers."

Kise blinked, a bit taken back by her sudden change in demeanor. However, a grin soon stretched across his lips. "Don't be so mean, Shoko-chan~!" Kise pouted, sticking out his tongue playfully.

Shoko glared at him. "Okay, okay! I'll go!" Kise raised his hands in surrender. Before he left, he quickly flicked her forehead-taking her by surprise. "Don't frown so much, Shoko-chan~! You'll scare away the customers and get wrinkles!"

Kise bounced off before Shoko could say another word. Shoko's lips twitched as she turned back towards the flower stand. Momoi was busy trying to promote their class flower stand by walking down the hallways with a huge sign, so Shoko was left to man the front of the shop by herself.

The rest of the class was busy in the classroom trying to cut and organize the flowers to meet the fierce demand. "Good job, Haisaki. Looks like your idea is a success after all." Shoko snapped out of her daze when Goutou – the male representative – placed a whole bucket of fresh red roses beside her.

"Ah. .Thank you." Shoko replied plainly. This was the first time he had complimented her, which was strange since Shoko was so used to his snide comments.

Goutou placed a rough hand on her shoulder. "Since you're the one in charge of sales, I expect to see you selling these roses left and right!" He exclaimed with a fire of determination in his eyes. "If our class loses to 2-A, I'll put you on cleaning duty for a whole month." Goutou said grimly, shooting daggers towards the said class down the hall.

Shoko didn't know why, but for some reason, Goutou harbored resentment towards Class 2-A. A trail of sweat ran down her forehead; everyone was so worked up over the prize. "Thanks for the encouraging words, Goutou-san." Shoko said sarcastically as she handed a student a rose.

"Since you have time for small talk, why don't you make yourself useful and help Satsuki-san with advertising?" Shoko suggested with an icy smile. Goutou glanced down the hallway where Momoi was currently stationed.

He grimaced at the sight of all the males surrounded the pink haired beauty, but turned red once he saw her outfit.

"I'll go help out in back!" He said hastily as he rushed back to the classroom.

'Idiot.' Shoko thought, shaking her head. Momoi was wearing a simple white dress with lace embellishments, but with her ample chest, she looked far from the innocent theme her classmates were going for.

No mattered how much the male representative tried to deny it, Shoko knew that he had lingering feelings towards Momoi. She heard that he confessed to Momoi their first year, but was threatened by Aomine to never approach her again.

"Hey, Haisaki-san! Goutou-kun said that you can take a break right now." A female classmate said as she came out of the classroom. "I'll watch over the stall, so you can go look around if you want." She offered kindly, taking the apron Shoko was wearing previously.

As Shoko loosened her hair from her ponytail and straightened her uniform, her classmate continued. "I heard that the third years were having a cosplay café, so you should check it out!"

"Thanks, I'll be back in an hour." Shoko said, ignoring the last statement her classmate had said. As Shoko left her class stand, she stretched her sore muscles as she began wandering down the hallways.

Harumi had left a voucher for his class' cosplay café, but Shoko didn't have any interest in seeing the upperclassman again, so she gave the voucher to a girl in her class.

Shoko knew that Harumi was trying to repair the damage he caused, but she didn't want to associate herself with him. Shougo was still lurking around trying to find _any_ excuse to cause trouble with the basketball team, so it seemed like unnecessary to stir any trouble.

"Haisaki." Shoko paused in her strides as she heard a soft, yet commanding voice call out her name. She turned her head towards the source and greeted the person with a curt nod.

"Slow business?" Shoko asked, gesturing to the empty lines in front of 2-A with her head.

"Something like that." Akashi replied as he leaned back into the chair he was sitting in. "It seems as our class is having some sort of competition with Class 3-C."

Shoko frowned. 3-C was Harumi's class – it seemed as if the world revolved around the energetic third year; she kept hearing about him or his class today. "Of course, we aren't going down with a fight." Akashi affirmed with a nod of his head. "We are currently in the process of bringing out reinforcements."

Shoko shook her head. Akashi was as competitive as usual, bringing his "Never lose" mentality to the school festival as well. "While you're here, why don't you support our class and buy something?" Akashi suggested, although the tone of his voice practically demanded her to buy something.

Shoko ended up ordering a fruit parfait and found herself sitting in the seat next to Akashi while she waited for her food. Akashi looked unaffected by her presence, but Shoko felt a little perturbed by the basketball team's captain.

Although she had met him the beginning of their freshman year, Shoko never had much interaction with him. He was always busy with his captain duties and during the few times she tagged along on their 'team bonding' excursions, he regarded her presence as excess luggage.

Shoko wondered if the festivities were making people change their personality. First, Goutou had complimented her earlier and now Akashi was attempting small talk with her.

How strange. Shoko thought as she stared into space. A few students from other schools were lined up, so Akashi was busy taking their orders. After the line had died down, Akashi sat back down.

A student from his class finally delivered her fruit parfait and silence engulfed the two as Shoko began eating. "Do you play shogi?" Akashi suddenly asked.

Shoko blinked. "No, I'm not particularly fond of that game." She replied honestly. She didn't have fond memories concerning the game. Her mother had tried to teach her shogi because her grandmother favored it, but Shoko didn't want to please her grandmother.

"It's such a shame, you can learn so much about a person by playing a game with them."

Shoko had heard that Akashi often played games with Midorima in the clubroom after basketball practice and knew that Akashi was quite skilled at the game as he was with other things.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, we should play a game sometime." Akashi replied, completely disregarding her distaste towards the game. "I'm interested to see what your motive is."

Shoko poked a strawberry with the end of her fork. She was wondering why Akashi had suddenly called out her name and she finally figured out why.

Akashi was equally – if not more – perceptive of others than herself, so he knew that she had gotten his subliminal message.

"How's the basketball team?" Shoko asked, bringing the strawberry she had been playing with earlier to her lips.

Akashi looked a bit taken back by her sudden question, but quickly masked it with his usual confident expression. "We are well on our way to our second consecutive win this year."

"Hm." Shoko hummed, but she said nothing more. While they weren't exactly playing shogi, Akashi felt as if he was engaging in a mental game with the girl beside him. He had laid down the first move when he suggested playing the game in the future, but he couldn't read her responses as well as he would have liked.

Before Akashi could say something else, someone interrupted him. "Ore-sama finally found you. I was looking all over this place for you!" A boy with gray hair said as he approached the duo.

Akashi noticed a small grimace appear on the girl's lips as she greeted the boy. "Oh, hello, Keigo-kun." She greeted blandly. "I didn't think you were actually coming."

The boy – now identified as Keigo – lifted his head up high arrogantly. "Ore-sama thought that it would be a good idea to see what kind of school you transferred to." Keigo redirected his attention momentarily to Akashi and they began sizing each other.

Keigo had such an undeniable air of arrogance around him that it was kind of nauseating. He looked to be a little younger than Akashi, but he was rather tall for his age. Akashi recognized his uniform to be from Hyotei – a rather wealthy elevator school in the city.

Their basketball team wasn't anything worth mentioning, but he had heard high regards for their tennis team. Neither party looked too impressed by the other person.

Once they had finished sizing each other up, Keigo and Akashi spoke at the same time. "Your boyfriend?"

Shoko didn't look too amused and scoffed. "Hardly." Turning towards Akashi, she gestured towards the other boy. "This is my cousin, Atobe Keigo."

"Keigo-kun, this is Akashi Seijuro." Akashi noticed that she had no bothered to attach any familiarity towards him.

Keigo dismissed his introduction with a flick of his hand. He didn't care. "Whatever, let's go. You promised you would show me around if I came to your school festival."

"Where's Oshitari-kun?"

"Ore-sama left him." Keigo replied bluntly. "He was attracting too many girls' attention and it got too troublesome."

"You shouldn't leave your friends in strange places by themselves." Shoko said as she got up from her seat. "That's uncivilized."

"Is it?" Keigo drawled out, helping his cousin to her feet. They met eyes for a moment and Keigo gave him a small snide smile – his whole demeanor had a 'holier than thou' aura.

Akashi narrowed his eyes slightly, but remained seated, observing the cousins' interaction with each other. She was more unreserved as she interacted with her cousin Akashi noticed.

"Well then, I'll be heading off now." Shoko said, sending a curt nod towards Akashi's direction. "Good luck at the Nationals."

Akashi watched as the duo blended with the crowd. 'They are so different, but so alike at the same time. 'Akashi thought, thinking about his former violent teammate. He still didn't like her; she had left their mental mind games unfinished.

Akashi prided himself on being able to read into people's motives – so much so that he could even begin to predict a person's next move if he concentrated hard enough. But, he didn't know what she was thinking.

Akashi knew that one of his players on the second string had hit her last week, but she didn't report the situation to him or the school. He had heard the rumors surrounding her and noticed that she simply brushed them off with a dismissal wave.

Midorima was beginning to get closer to the girl as well – whether he wanted to admit it or not – but luckily, his performance hasn't been affected by her presence yet.

He didn't have anything against Haisaki Shoko personally; it was just that her brother was troublesome to deal with. Out of all the members on the team, Shougo was always the most difficult to control.

If Shougo decided to return to basketball, it would disrupt the momentum they had. He couldn't risk making any moves that would lessen his certain win at Nationals.

He redirected his gaze on Shoko's back and watched as she turned the corner.

He would wait to see how things played out before he made his move.

* * *

"Where do you want to go?" Shoko asked her cousin as she pushed herself through the crowds that were beginning to thicken. It was a little past noon and Teiko's hallways were filled with students from various schools.

"Outside." Atobe answered, walking through the crowd with much more ease than Shoko. Shoko frowned as she noticed that the crowd naturally parted for him and Atobe strolled through the hallway with his head held high. "Ore-sama left Oshitari at the fortune telling booth."

It wasn't long that they finally reached the courtyard and joined Oshitari at the fortune telling booth. "Ah, you finally came back Atobe." Oshitari said once he noticed his presence. "I was beginning to think that you left me here."

Atobe scoffed, "What kind of friend do you think Ore-sama is?" He replied sounding a little insulted.

Oshitari shrugged his shoulder and yawned. Cracking an eye open, his visage brightened when he noticed Shoko standing behind Atobe. "Shoko-chan! It's been a while."

Shoko greeted him with a brief wave. "Nice to see you again, Oshitari-kun. Everything okay with the tennis team?"

"Of course, under Atobe's _brilliant_ guidance, we've been recognized by the upperclassmen." Similar to Akashi, Atobe seized the tennis team and completely overthrew the hierarchy system replacing it with a merit system. "We have interesting characters on the team – you should come visit us sometime."

Shoko gave a small smile. She and her brother had attended Hyotei up until their first year of middle school. Shougo had become increasingly violent and was expelled from Hyotei after hitting an upperclassman – which just so happened to have a lot of connections with the school.

Her father had requested her to attend Teiko with her brother in order to watch over him – which she had not been pleased about, but never less agreed to transfer. "I'll keep that in mind."

She showed them around the school for thirty minutes before her break was over. Since there was only two more hours till the festival was over, Oshitari told her that they would wait till she finished so they could catch up with dinner.

After they parted ways, Shoko went back to her class booth and was jumped by Momoi. "I haven't seen you all day, Shoko-chan!" The gray haired girl noticed that Momoi had changed into her regular school uniform.

Momoi noticed her looking at her change in clothing. "Dai-chan came over earlier and told me to change back." She explained with a pout. "It was such a cute dress too. ."

Shoko pursed her lips. She wondered if Momoi would ever acknowledge her childhood friend's crush on her. Although Aomine would refuse to admit it, Shoko had a feeling that he cared more for Momoi than he let on.

"Oh by the way, your brother came here earlier." Momoi said. There was a crease in between her eyebrows as she bit her lip; she was worried.

"What did he do this time?"

"He didn't do anything." Momoi replied. "He just came to buy a bunch of red roses and left." Apparently Momoi was the one who helped him with the flowers and although they had a shady history together, Shougo barely acknowledged her presence.

"I didn't know that he dyed his hair back to gray though." Momoi commented. "He looks more like you now."

Shoko grimaced. Her brother came home two nights ago with his hair back to its original color. It was such a big change that when her father came home, he had to do a double take between the siblings.

"Anyways," Momoi's complexion brightened up significantly as she changed the subject. "Tetsu-kun came by earlier and I gave him a rose!"

"Oh? Congratulations. What did he say?" Although Kuroko was skilled at being the unknown phantom player on courts, he was quite oblivious in real world situations.

"He thanked me and gave me this!" Momoi gushed, showing Shoko a Popsicle stick that read 'One free ice cream' on it. Shoko deadpanned while Momoi continued to melt on how sweet Kuroko was.

The last two hours of the festival ended uneventfully. Midorima had came by to visit their booth once and they had a brief conversation concerning horoscopes. Shoko wasn't interested in the topic, but Midorima forced her to carry a small rabbit plush for the rest of the day – claiming that it was her 'lucky item' of the day.

Shoko thought it was stupid, but kept the item nonetheless because rabbits happened to be her favorite animal. Midorima left shortly after Kise had attempted to join the conversation and curtly told his teammate to die after Kise whispered something in Midorima's ear.

When Shoko asked what they had spoken about, Kise gave her a mysterious smile. "It's a secret!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Class 3-C, Harumi leaned on a broom as he stared out the window. The cosplay café was a success and his classmates were buzzing about their certain win in the school wide competition, but Harumi couldn't bring himself to join in on their excitement.

He had left Shoko a free voucher to the café in her locker and he was looking forward to seeing her again after their last sour encounter, but unfortunately, Shoko didn't show up the whole day.

He had messed up.

Why was he such a fool?

Harumi sighed loudly as he became to half-ass his chore of sweeping the floors. After serving people with a smile all day, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more but to curl up in bed.

The classroom door opened again and Harumi's head turned towards the door. His expression fell when he noticed that it was just one of his classmates entering the room again.

They made eye contact and his classmate's expression paled. "U-U-Uh. .There's someone asking for you Harumi-kun."

Harumi sighed tiredly. After the cosplay café, he and his classmates became more popular with the female populations after spouting corny host lines for the whole day. After the festival was over, a lot of girls from surrounding schools had stayed back to ask if they wanted to hang out.

His friends had been thrilled with the extra attention and immediately agreed, but Harumi didn't feel like he was up for talking to another female anytime soon. "Who is it this time?"

There was a lengthy pause before his classmate replied quietly. "It's Haisaki."

Harumi's eyes widened and he dropped the broom in his hands. The class quieted as they looked at him curiously, but Harumi ignored their stares and ran out the classroom. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his classmate warning him to be careful.

Harumi didn't have to travel far before he saw the familiar head of gray hair standing in front of his classroom. A bouquet of red roses covered the person's face, but Harumi felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw the roses.

Red symbolized love.

Did that mean she forgave him?

Harumi smiled in relief and opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could get a word in, the person lowered the flowers from his face and the butterflies in Harumi's stomach suddenly turned into daggers.

A cruel smile fitted over the person's lips. "Hello, _Harumi-senpai_." Haisaki Shougo greeted snidely. "Were you expecting someone else?" He asked, dropping the flowers at his feet.

"Someone like _my sister_?" His eyes darkened a shade.

Harumi's throat tightened.

Red was the color of love, passion, and warmth.

But red was also the color of blood.

Shougo's smile widened when he saw the fear in his eyes. "Can we go somewhere else to talk, _senpai_?"

* * *

(1) – to make a big deal out of nothing/something small


End file.
